Amid a Resort, This Thatched Hut Houses a Zero-Waste Water-Bottling Plant
A humble production hut built with recycled bottles, local timber, thatched roof and simple granito concrete floors is used as a bottling facility for drinking water.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Thanh Long: How Dragon Fruit Proves Beauty Is Only Skin-Deep
Of all my accomplishments in life, my greatest may be the creation of The Banana Line. This is a ranking tool, based on the belief that if all fruits were lined up from worst to best, taking into account taste, availability, price, consistency, portability, ease of consumption, versatility, etc., the banana would represent the exact middle; the precise median. The dragon fruit (thanh long) falls well, well below the banana line.
[Photos] Katinat Cafe's Gò Vấp Location Is an Industrial Glass Fortress
Cement, air, water, sand, and gravel: concrete is a simple material. Same for glass, that spread of super-heated quartz sand.
The Nocturnal Thrill of Capturing Vietnam's Elegant Fauna in Wildlife Photography
For most people, walking in the jungle at night would sound like a bad idea. A lack of knowledge and many misbeliefs, un...
The Mekong Delta Loses Sand Too Fast Due to Extraction, It's Time for a Sand Budget.
Many people will be familiar with the dread when your income no longer covers your expenses; when you’ve exhausted your savings and are sinking ever deeper into debt. In the Mekong Delta, a similar downward spiral is happening. But it’s not the delta’s finances that are draining away — it’s the sand that sustains it. Not its economic stability that is being undermined, but its very foundations.
Michael Tatarski in Tech
How Going Digital Could Help Vietnam's Farmers Take Their Produce to the Next Level
In this digital age, farming, especially in developing countries like Vietnam, has maintained a general perception of being an analog, hands-on practice.
For Trans Vietnamese, Healthcare Providers Are Respectful, but Red Tape Still Hurts
Vietnam has been increasingly progressive in protecting and promoting LGBT rights. In November 2015, Vietnam made a big milestone when it granted individuals who have changed their gender the right to apply for a change of civil status affairs, and at the same time set forth the right to legal gender recognition for transgender people. Not only that, Vietnam has removed the ban on same-sex marriage since 2013, and legalized gay people serving in the military since 1992.
On a Hill in Huế, a Glass-Filled Home Welcomes Natural Light With Open Arms
Are hills simply mountains that lack ambition?
Brian Letwin in Health
Lead Dust Choking Vietnam's Cities
Break out the facemasks. A new report has found that lead dust pollution is on the rise in Vietnam’s cities and is currently 2 – 4 times higher than accepted levels.
Brian Letwin in Environment
Rhino Horn: Instant Status Maker
Even as the illicit rhino horn market gets more and more negative press, it’s not stopping status-seeking Vietnamese from consuming the horn’s powder. In a recent piece in Times Live, a New Zealand-ba...
The Toxic Legacy of Agent Orange
As the US government claims to be worried about the use of chemical weapons all over the world, one question is still waiting for an answer in this country. Although the major issues causing tension b...
Brian Letwin in Tech
Crowdsourcing Startup, Flitto Seeks to Make Google Translate Obsolete
Whether you’re a native English or Vietnamese speaker, chances are, you’ve used Google Translate at least once. The tech behemoth’s translation service, which relies on an algorithm, is notorious for ...
Brian Letwin in Development
First Phase of Metro Line No. 5 Fully Funded
With construction is already in full swing on Saigon’s first metro line, the city is close to reaching its funding goal for the first phase of line No. 5. Most of the funding will come from the Asia D...
Brian Letwin in Development
A Day in the Life of a Saigon Drainage Worker
As much of Saigon was built on swampland, drainage is vital to the city’s development and progress. Yet with each heavy rain, large swaths of the city become inundated and streets come to resemble sma...
Brian Letwin in Environment
Environmentalism and Sustainability Gaining Steam in Vietnam
Vietnam is slowly but surely understanding the need for sustainable development and a clean environment. We’ve recently seen the erection of green homes, establishment of green-focused youth clubs and...
Brian Letwin in Tech
Vietnamese Tech Startup of the Month – September Edition: Digi-Gps
Digi-GPS, a local Vietnamese startup, seeks to apply high-technology to our decidedly analog motorbikes. The company has launched two security-minded products to help bike owners feel secure - SmartBi...
Brian Letwin in Development
Minimalist Nest House in Binh Duong
The Nest house was designed for a middle-aged architecture writer. The house, located on the outskirts of the new city in Thuận An, Binh Duong Province, seeks to blend urbanism with a variety of archi...
Brian Letwin in Development
Vietnam Set to Become World’s Largest Motorbike Producer
Slowly but surely, Vietnam is becoming the favored location for large scale motorbike manufacturing. If the trend continues, analysts predict that within 10 years, Vietnam will become the global leade...
Brian Letwin in Development
Why Sustainable Development is Vital For Vietnam's Future
Green building is starting to take off in Vietnam. Over the past few months, we’ve seen a number of ‘green’ homes sprout up across Saigon, using open floor plans, sustainable materials and plants that...
Brian Letwin in Development
World Startup Report @ Saigon Hub
From the organizer: The World Startup Report is a social project to help understand and connect the different startup ecosystems in the world.
Brian Letwin in Tech
Free WIFI Coming to Saigon Buses
In a bid to increase the ridership on Saigon’s 270 bus routes, the city will implement free WIFI for passengers.
Brian Letwin in Development
H&P Completes Bamboo–Earth–Stone Pavilion
Local architects, H&P, have long focused on the use of environmentally-friendly materials for their designs. Earlier this year, they released a set of renderings of low-cost bamboo housing de...
Brian Letwin in Tech
New Vietnamese Food App Delivers Instant Gratification
Taking advantage of the Vietnamese love of food and photos, Tran Quang Vinh, a former fashion designer, has released iOS app - Foodshot.
Brian Letwin in Development
Bitexco Tapped to Develop Thu Thiem Urban Area
After years of land clearance delays, lack of investors and stagnation in the real estate market, the Thu Thiem new urban area project may gaining steam as Bitexco has been assigned to manage the proj...
Brian Letwin in Development
The Coolest House in Binh Thanh? (2)
Green building is slowly but surely gaining popularity in Vietnam. For Saigon in particular, the tropical climate provides many opportunities for design firms to implement efficient, green designs.
Brian Letwin in Development
The Coolest House in Binh Thanh?
Green building is slowly but surely gaining popularity in Vietnam. For Saigon in particular, the tropical climate provides many opportunities for design firms to implement efficient, green designs.
Brian Letwin in Development
Construction Restart at Lavenie Crown?
The Lavenie Crown was one of the many victims of Saigon’s real estate crunch. Slated to begin construction in 2012 on the site next to Diamond Plaza, the project came to a halt as the main investor, K...
Brian Letwin in Development
From French Villas to Slums, Da Lat's Lost Charm
Da Lat, once a sleepy French vacation town, full of ornate villas and majestic pine forests, is in danger of losing what charm still remains. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the city’s pine tr...
