Lung Vai School / 1+1>2 Architects

Architects: 1+1>2 Architects
Area: 250 m²
Year: 2020
Photographs: Trieu Chien, Son Vu
Manufacturers: Hai Long glass, Hoa Phat, INAX, Rạng Đông
Lead Architects: KTS Hoang Thuc Hao, KTS Tran Hong Nam, KTS Nguyen Hanh Le
Investors: AA Corporation
City: Minh Tân
Country: Vietnam

Lung Vai School, designed by 1+1>2 Architects, is located in a remote Hmong village on a craggy mountain. With limited road access, villagers from Lung Vai and Bac Sum helped transport materials. The school, built using traditional rammed-earth walls, blends seamlessly into its surroundings. It features three classrooms—two for kindergarten and one for elementary—under a large, curved iron roof that resembles a mushroom. The design integrates natural elements, with thick mud walls, large windows, and skylights providing ample light and ventilation, making the school feel like an organic part of the landscape.

Lung Vai village, where the Hmong people reside, sits atop a rugged mountain, making access difficult due to the lack of roads. Like a mushroom springing from the ground, the school emerged through the combined efforts of villagers from Lung Vai and neighboring Bac Sum, who worked together to clear paths and enable easier transport of construction materials.

With limited access to electricity and scarce water resources, the construction was carefully managed to make the most of local materials and labor. Lung Vai School’s design incorporates traditional rammed earth walls, helping the structure blend seamlessly with the village.

The school consists of three classrooms—two for kindergarten and one for elementary students. Corridors, classrooms, and toilets are housed beneath a large, curved iron roof, resembling either a flying saucer on the hillside or a mushroom emerging from the ground. When viewed from above, the structure evokes the image of terraced fields with sparkling water reflecting the surrounding mountains and forest.

The curved mud walls blend with the terrain, making the classrooms appear to emerge naturally from the landscape, dissolving the boundary between inside and outside. The thick mud walls, combined with large windows and skylights, ensure proper ventilation, while natural light and airflow make the school feel like an extension of its surroundings.