Architects Without Frontiers | Australia

Update July 2010

BURO Architecture + Interiors has been working with Architects without Frontiers to develop the design for a disability day care centre for disabled children on behalf of the Kianh Foundation in Hoi An. In January of 2010 a group of students from RMIT Melbourne joined with students of RMIT Vietnam in an integrated practice studio model using the Dien Ban Disability Day Centre as a 'live project'. The studio worked with initial sketch designs from BURO and worked with the community and users to come up with a design solution. This was able to deliver real world teaching, research and community service outcomes for RMIT design and construction students and staff - and a tangible outcome for an external client. This collaboration between RMIT Melbourne and RIUV students provided a highly dynamic cultural learning experience for both groups. Following the studio BURO Architecture + Interiors reviewed the design concept and prepared design development drawings which were given to the client for use in the tender process. At this stage the project is awaiting approval from the Dien Ban People's Committee before finalising a contractor.

Update January 2010

Measuring site boundaries | brick factory in Dien Ban | Colin and Ro Schroeder from Kianh Foundation | Measuring site boundaries

Paul von Chrismar, from BURO Architecture + Interiors recently returned from a site visit to Dien Ban. BURO is working pro-bono with AWF and the Kianh Foundation to design the Dian Ban Disability Day Centre, which will commence construction in 2010 through a grant from RMIT University.

BURO Architects first started working with AWF on the Dien Ban Disability Day Centre back in early 2009. The Dien Ban project aims to provide a purpose designed education and health facility for children with disabilities in Dien Ban District, Quang Nam Province, Central Vietnam.

For BURO the design process has been a unique one, and has highlighted the often complicated nature of community development projects such as several changes to site location and the need to work remotely.

My trip to Vietnam back in early December was to visit the confirmed site, to meet with those involved with building the centre, and to get an understanding of the community this building will serve. It was my first visit to Vietnam, and although I have travelled through other parts of South East Asia I found Vietnam to be very unique. I experienced an openness and honesty from the people in Hoi An that was heartening. I could see in the people I met a real pride in being Vietnamese that seemed to form the backbone of the strong culture of Hoi An. It was a warm welcome.

My Hoi An site visit allowed the design to be work-shopped with the team that will run this facilty and within the context of the region it will serve. The collaboration with Colin and Ro Schroeder from the Kianh Foundation was invaluable to the design process. It gave me a thorough understanding of local conditions, and our visits to building sites and suppliers around the area added a layer of reality to the design which could not have been done at a drawing board back in Melbourne.

Another unique aspect I have found working on remote projects is the concentration of the time spent on site and the focus applied. When you are on site with a single task in mind it enables you to focus strongly on that task and the design takes on an immediacy that is not found on more conventional projects. As an architect I find this immersion whilst on a site so far from the drawing board can drive a design process which is more real and honest.

As well as working with the Kianh Foundation, BURO will be assisting AWF with an RMIT University studio in January 2010 that forms part of the overall project. We look forward to developing the project over the coming months particularly through the collaboration with RMIT students at our workshop in late January.

Summary

The Kianh Foundation is planning to build a Day Care Centre on the outskirts of Hoi An city in central Vietnam. The AWF team visited Hoi An in November 2008 for site visits and consultations with the client. The site is a low-lying paddy field that gets flooded seasonally and the client was advised to carry out a soil test to assess the foundation design and construction options. The client provided a rough schematic plan and a list of requirements for the proposed 3000 sqm centre. This was the basis for AWF’s design proposal. It is envisaged that the centre will be built in two stages; in the first stage the main facilities will be built and depending on availability of funds, in the second stage more classroom and physiotherapy rooms will be added. Some funds for the building the centre has already been raised and the Kianh Foundation is actively working on raising more funds.

Client

The Kianh Foundation is a non-profit UK charity working to improve the health, education and quality of life for disabled and disadvantaged children at the Hoi An Orphanage, Vietnam. The vision of the Kianh Foundation is to make the orphanage a centre of excellence where all children have the opportunity to reach their greatest potential through the mission of improving the health, education and quality of life for the children.

Client Representative

Colin Schroeder

Project Partners

Project Leader

Esther Charlesworth, Executive Director, AWF

Project Team

Ifte Ahmed, RMIT University
Deb Kunda, Architect, Melbourne

Consultant Team

TBC

Commencement Date

November 2008

Background and Description

The Kianh Foundation is planning to build a Day Care Centre on a site in Dien Phuoc commune, Dien Ban, located 20 minutes from Hoi An city. The area was heavily bombed during the war and has the highest proportion of disability in the Province. There are over 800 children with disability who do not have access to essential education and therapy services. In addition to maintaining the orphanage programmes, the foundation is planning to build the centre to address the services gap by providing special education and therapies such as physio and speech. In 2007 the Kianh Foundation became associated with AWF during a design studio in Hoi An for students of RMIT University, Australia and Vietnam. AWF was approached by the foundation for pro-bono services to design the Day Care Centre.

Status

The AWF team visited Hoi An in November 2008 and made site visits, studied characteristics of local construction and design and undertook extensive consultation with the client. The client provided a list of requirements and rough schematic drawings for the proposed day care centre. This was somewhat ambitious in scope and agreement was reached that the design should suggest a phasing plan so that the centre can begin operating at a basic level and expand over time as resources become available gradually. The recently acquired site is on low-lying paddy fields subject to regular inundation. It is necessary to conduct a soil test to understand the bearing capacity of the land so that the most cost-effective and appropriate foundation option can be decided. The client was given instructions for a soil test to be carried out locally. That would allow assessing whether landfill or a building raised on columns would be suitable. A fish pond dug into the site might be a source of soil for raising the land, an option under consideration. Based on the visit, a scoping document with a design proposal has been prepared to be submitted to potential donors for raising funds. The construction is expected to begin during mid-2009 and the first phase is planned to be completed by early 2010 so that the centre can begin functioning.