Paul Christiansen in Environment
Saigon's Weather Dude Is Dedicated to Keeping Saigoneers Dry This Rainy Season
Why is it raining in Saigon? Because it’s the rainy season. Sure, but if you want to be more specific, you can cite conditions in the Bay of Bengal, more than 2,500 kilometers away. It’s there that the wind conditions form that flow across the Gulf of Thailand, sucking up the moisture that drenches Vietnam’s southern metropolis.
In the Era of Constant Rebuilding, We Turn to Vietnamese Modernism for Nostalgic Comfort
For two years now, I've checked the Vietnamese Modernist Architecture Facebook group almost every day. Here, members post ...
How Laos's Dams Are Powering Vietnam, Other ASEAN Nations Despite Mekong Concerns
Following a spate of foreign investment in the 1990s, Laos began producing surplus electricity and looked to export it. Today, around 80% of its energy, largely from hydropower, is sold to neighbors. Electricity exports from Laos generate around US$2.6 billion for what is one of the poorest nations in mainland Southeast Asia. Across the region, neighbors including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia have become reliant on hydropower from Laos. Slowly but surely, however, this is changing.
A Pop-up Night Park Brings the Joy of Playing in the Rain to Phú Mỹ Hưng
A lack of public spaces and activities has been a chronic problem plaguing Saigon’s urban planning since the city experienced its first population boom a few decades ago. If you happen to be near District 7 in the next two months, a pop-up park could be a new option for children, and perhaps some particularly exuberant adults, to frolic in the rain and the evening.
Elise Luong in Environment
Living, Learning, Loving From the Earth at Ninh Bình's Lá Library
A stone's throw away from Cúc Phương National Park in Ninh Bình Province sits Lá Library, an education center promoting sustainable living through sustainable agriculture farming, earthen building techniques and the art of chilling out.
The Saigon House That Swapped Its Front Door for a Moat
Does a house need walls?
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Is the Yeti Vietnamese? This Ancient Ape Might Hold the Answer.
Can you name a Vietnamese animal that hasn’t been hunted to the precipice of extinction or become a commodified item whose flesh, fur, or feathers are only deemed significant in relation to their practical use by humans?
This Suburban Hanoi House Answers 'Yes' to 'How Many Windows Do You Want?'
Do you love the tropical summer? Does bathing in the warmth of the sun spark joy in you? How many windows are enough to solar-power your everyday life? If you, too, are toiling with these existential concerns on a daily basis, perhaps this recent residential project might provide some inspiration.
Mekong Delta Faces Worst Drought in 90 Years
It is not yet the peak of dry season, but the Mekong Delta is experiencing its worst drought in 90 years.
[Photos] We Wish This Audi A8 With Built-in Rice Cooker Existed
We've all been there: it's the end of the day and you're inching your way home through rush hour traffic. When you finally make it to your house, the last thing you want to think about is making dinne...
Vietnam Ranks 131 of 180 Countries on 2016 Environmental Protection Index
Every year, American university Yale releases its Environmental Protection Index (EPI), rating the ability of individual nations to protect both human health and the ecosystem. In 2016, the numbe...
[Video] Can Tho Gets Its First Pedestrian Bridge
Can Tho's brand-new pedestrian bridge opened to residents just in time for Tet.
[Photos] Saigon's Wasp House Is a Tiny Urban Oasis
The many oddly shaped houses of Saigon are, in some ways, an architect's dream: rather than contend with the conformity of gated communities or apartment blocks, architectural minds in this city face ...
Hanoi Metro Will Open in December 2016
By the end of 2016, Hanoi's first metro line will officially be up and running.
ArchDaily Nominates 3 Vietnamese Architects for Building of the Year Awards
Global architecture website ArchDaily is currently hosting its 2016 Building of the Year Awards where, much to our delight, Vietnamese architecture is well-represented. Among its 14 categories, l...
Vietnamese Spend $2bn on Healthcare Overseas
While foreigners are coming to Vietnam for medical tourism, locals are spending US$2 billion a year on healthcare abroad.
Saigon's Tax Center Skyscraper Will Have a Helipad
At the Satra-Tax Plaza's ground-breaking ceremony on January 29, developers of the project announced the roof of the new skyscraper will house a helipad.
Saigon's Hotel Majestic to Get High-Rise Addition
Since last June, Saigontourist Holding Company has resumed expansion of The Majestic, its five-star luxury hotel overlooking the riverfront.
Instant Noodles Linked to Heart Disease, Stroke: Study
As the world's second largest consumer of instant noodles – Vietnam chows down on 5.2 billion packs of the pre-cooked blocks every year – this may be hard news to swallow, but studies show t...
[Photos] Saigon's Studio8 Gets Creative With Q10 Row House
Saigon's buildings come in every configuration imaginable. Whether squeezed into impossibly small spaces or built on misshapen plots of land, the city's tube houses present a unique and interesti...
Ready to Trade in Your iPhone for a Bphone?
In what some believe is a last-ditch attempt to offload its remaining stock, Vietnamese tech outfit Bkav is offering local smartphone users the opportunity to trade in their old Apple, Samsung and HTC...
Bill Gates, British Finance Minister Pledge $4.28bn to Fight Malaria
In an effort to quash the potentially fatal illness for good, billionaire Bill Gates and British finance minister George Osborne are pledging £3 billion (US$4.28 billion) to fight malaria around the w...
Dong Nai Proposes Extension of Metro Line 1
As downtown progress on the Saigon Metro inches along, Dong Nai officials are hoping to extend Line 1 beyond the city limits.
[Photos] Check out Vo Trong Nghia's Spectacular D2 Bamboo Pavilions
Vietnam's internationally renowned, bamboo-loving architectural mastermind Vo Trong Nghia has done it again.
[Photos] Future Hanoi: Vietinbank Tower
Though its construction has slowed recently, Hanoi is expecting a pair of fancy new V-shaped skyscrapers in future.
Saigon Begins Testing 4G Service
On the heels of rival company Viettel's trial run in Vung Tau, Vinaphone has begun testing its 4G service in Saigon and Phu Quoc.
Mekong Delta Farmers Are Using Cement to Fertilize Their Fields
Much to the alarm of local scientists and officials, rice farmers in the Mekong Delta have discovered a nifty new fertilizer: cement.
Nha Trang Is Selling Its Old Downtown Airport for $540m
The massive former US airbase located in downtown Nha Trang is set to become a mixed-used shopping development, Khanh Hoa authorities announced on Monday.
