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Greening Colonial Heat Islands in Tropical Cities

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A challenging renovation in Hanoi, Vietnam begins with a four-storey house of stuffy, poky rooms.

Its balconies were unusable, because the house was enclosed behind security bars on all the the doors and windows.

In their latest work, Vo Trong Nghia Architects solve both problems with an imaginative renovation.

The existing security fencing was taken off the windows and instead, a galvanized steel trellis was attached to the outer edges of the existing balcony, on which climbers are grown.

The pleasant resulting ‘greenfall’ outside can be glimpsed through new openings in the floors deep inside the now renovated interiors.

All that can be seen from the street is what appears to be a green wall climbing a trellis.

Vietnam’s rapid growth has created many urban problems including an increase in noise and air pollution from motorbikes, and a shortage of green space.

The Hanoi renovation project was designed to return greenery to the city, creating a more relaxing living environment for both the resident and the neighbors.

The new interiors are now refreshed by an invigorating cool, green ambiance and the balconies are once again accessible to the family.

A new green roof is also added, which helps cool the house below, while offering a real escape from the stresses of hot city life.

Several trees are also cultivated at the ground floor at the bottom of the central stairway.

The existing house in the center of the city had suffered from dim, dark, wet and moldy environment a typical condition for many of the older houses in Hanoi.

This same space, formerly the darkest ground floor is now daylit by an opening in the floor above, creating a direct central light well from the former second balcony doors.

A second lightwell houses the central stair connecting all four floors.

Its walls are finished with uneven stone, creating a textural graphic interest.

What had been a four storey warren of tiny dark rooms is now lit down through its center, creating a livable home.

Where before, the tropical city’s heat island effect was exacerbated by the concrete warmed in the sun.

Now the facade is simply and economically covered.

The architects feel this concept can be replicated easily throughout other rapidly growing cities like Hanoi to solve the climate problems of tropical urbanization.