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VNU  University of Economics and Business

Hoa Lac
Vietnam



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UNIVERSITY: VNU University of Economics and Business, a member of Vietnam National University

ARCHITECTS: G8A Architects, Allies and Morrison

LANDSCAPING: OMGEVING

PRODUCER: Lucien Bolliger

ART DIRECTOR: Trinh Thai

CG VISUALISERS: Bao Doan, Hieu Nguyen,  Hoang Nguyen, Quang Truong, Trinh Thai


A university is more than a collection of classrooms and lecture halls. It is a place where knowledge is exchanged, friendships are formed, ideas are tested, and individual futures begin to take shape. The challenge for the new University of Economics and Business campus was therefore not simply how to accommodate contemporary education, but how to create an environment where academic life could unfold in dialogue with its broader context.

Located within the expansive setting of Hoa Lac, west of Hanoi, the campus forms part of the broader Vietnam National University masterplan. Rather than imposing a singular urban object onto the site, the proposal takes its cues from the rhythms of the existing terrain, vegetation, and climate. The campus is conceived as a living framework that brings together learning, community, and ecology.

Designed by G8A Architects in collaboration with Allies and Morrison (urban planning and architecture), OMGEVING (landscape architecture), and createdby.ma (visualisation), the masterplan is structured around a gradual transition between urbanity and landscape, institution and community, structure and spontaneity. These overlapping conditions create a campus that feels both connected and open-ended—a place that can evolve alongside its students and academic programmes.

Three interconnected elements shape the identity of the campus.


The Agora

At the centre of the masterplan lies the Agora, a contemporary interpretation of the civic gathering spaces that have historically anchored communities. More than a circulation route, it serves as the social heart of the university—a sequence of shaded public spaces, shared facilities, and informal meeting places where learning extends beyond the classroom. Here, academic exchange, everyday encounters, and campus life converge.

The Learning Clusters

The academic buildings are organised as a series of interconnected learning clusters that respond to the site's topography and tropical climate. Their arrangement encourages movement, interaction, and collaboration while providing flexibility for changing educational models over time. Open circulation, natural ventilation, and climate-responsive outdoor spaces create environments that support both focused study and collective engagement.

The Landmarks

Distributed throughout the campus, a series of landmark buildings provide moments of orientation and identity. Their architecture draws on locally sourced materials, passive environmental strategies, and contemporary construction techniques to create places that are distinctly rooted in Vietnam while addressing the aspirations of a globally connected institution. Rather than iconic objects, these buildings act as reference points within a broader landscape of learning.

Surrounding the campus, an ecological parkland forms a living edge between the university and its wider landscape. Academic buildings open towards this ecological setting, allowing daily campus life to engage with seasonal rhythms, biodiversity, and outdoor public space. The result is a campus that embraces the realities of contemporary higher education while remaining deeply connected to its cultural and environmental context—a university shaped not only by what happens inside its buildings, but by the relationships it fosters between people, place, and knowledge.
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