Situated Regionalism

Situated Regionalism explores the role of unfired brick construction across Vietnam’s seven ecological zones, from upland forests to coastal wetlands. The project engages with the country’s diverse geology and Indigenous building traditions while addressing challenges linked to colonial infrastructure, war-related contamination, and rapid industrialization. The fellowship unfolds between Vietnam and Berlin, combining fieldwork, prototyping, and digital research to advance regenerative earthen construction rooted in local knowledge and ecological sensitivity.

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The project applies a hybrid methodology that reactivates vernacular knowledge while incorporating ecological and transdisciplinary perspectives: In the Cao Phong region, they will investigate ferralitic soils, local fibers, and Mường traditions through the creation of a full-scale prototype. In parallel, they are developing a digitally accessible Soil Atlas mapping Vietnam’s ecological zones. Designed as an educational and design tool, it will help share ecologically grounded and culturally resilient building strategies.

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By grounding design innovation in site-specific knowledge, Situated Regionalism seeks to influence not only local building practices but also broader policy and industry conversations on sustainable construction. The project’s outputs – prototype structures, an accessible knowledge base, and collaborative engagement with craftspeople and communities – are conceived for direct uptake in future building projects across Vietnam and beyond.

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‍Ha Nguyen is an architect and co-founder of arb architects, Vietnam. Her work combines computational methods with local crafts to develop ecological and community-based design strategies. She affirms Indigenous knowledge and spatial autonomy while experimenting with material innovation. In 2024, she received the Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture.

Hojung Kim is an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee. His research examines how centralized manufacturing systems displace Indigenous techniques and degrade ecosystems. He frames material production as a site of ecological resistance and cultural resilience, connecting local practices to broader architectural debates.

Together, Nguyen and Kim founded the Material Matters (MM) Research Lab, a platform for material experimentation and cross-cultural knowledge production. MM Lab integrates computational tools with local craft practices, challenging architectural paradigms that have historically marginalized Indigenous expertise. While arb architects develops practice-based projects, MM Lab provides the research foundation that informs and extends this work.  Alongside the Experimental Fellowship at Bauhaus Earth, Nguyen and Kim are recipients of the 2025–2026 Graham Foundation Award. 

Their project Documenting Hydraulic and Environmental Impacts along with Cultural, Historical, and Socio-Economic Contexts in the Present, focuses on Mang Thit, Vietnam. Combining mapping with field research, it examines how hydraulic changes affect alluvial soils and traditional occupations such as brick-making and agriculture, with an exhibition planned for 2026.

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