ISVS-14 Successfully Concluded in Vietnam

ISVS-14 Seminar was successfully held from the 17th -19th December 2025, hosted by the Vietnamese Design Association (VDAS), Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH) and the Asian School of Knowledge (ASK) of Sri Lanka. The seminar explored how vernacular exists in the world and inspires the young designers to create culturally relevant poetics of spaces and things. ISVS-14 took place within the premises of the HUTECH at its wonderfully articulated academic setting, with an exhibition of design students work in the ground floor lobby and the seminars in the upper floor. ISVS-14 received 112 paper proposals of which 38 were accepted for presentation. It was a great event marking a milestone in the ISVS international movement.

For details, please visit https://www.vietnamdesign.org.vn/isvs

Ho Chi Minh City, People and the Natural Landscape of Vietnam

Understanding Vernacular Heritage and Engaging in Design Practice

ISVS-14 was held on the theme 'Understanding Vernacular Heritage and Engaging in Design Practice.' Vietnam is full of Vernacular Settlements, Historical Sites, Wild life, Beaches and Nature. There was no better place to continue the journey of ISVS than Vietnam, with its breath-taking Nature and unmatched-hospitality. Hutech University was indeed the best setting for the event. Vietnam was one of the world's best places to visit too. We stayed at a city hotel enjoying the great places in vicinity including the bike rides, street food, Nature culture and People. We made new connections for more interractive academic pursuits. In fact, our visit to the University of Architecture of Ho Chi Mnh City has laid the foundation for a another conference initiated by the Asian School of Knowledge: International Conference on Design Research, which will now take place in August 2026 at the Ubiversity of Architecture- Ho Chi Minh City. Please visit Archi-Texts .com to view the conference website. ISVS-15 has been announced to take place at the Galala University in Egypt. This is earmarked to be one of the most exciting events with an exhibition of the work of Hsana Fathy and visits to the fascinating places such as the Pyramids and the tombs of the ancient Kings and Queens.

Keynote Speaker 1 was Prof. Dr. Ranjith Dayaratne from Bahrain/Sri Lanka/Australia

Dr. Ranjith Dayaratne is an architect by profession and has been in teaching and research for well over forty years. He has previously been a Senior Lecturer (1992-2000) in Architecture at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, a Visiting Lecturer (1995-2000) at the Colombo School of Architecture, a Visiting Research Fellow (2005-2006) at the University of Melbourne, Australia and a Visiting Professor (2009) at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. He has been an Asst. Professor from 2000-2004 and 2006-2013, and subsequently an Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Bahrain. He has also been the Chair of the Department of Architecture and Interior Design, University of Bahrain from 2016-2020. He is a Fellow of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, an Overseas member of the RIBA and a member of the Society of Commonwealth Fellows, U.K. He studied architecture at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, Environmental Psychology at the University of Surrey, UK. and earned his PhD from the University of Newcastle, UK (1992). He has been in teaching which began as being an Asst. Lecturer at the University of Moratuwa Sri Lanka (1985-1988), followed by being a Teaching Assistant at the University of Newcastle, UK (1991-1992). He has also been in active architectural practice while teaching from 1994-2000, in Sri Lanka as the Senior Architect, at Design Consortium (pvt) Ltd. (1994-1998), as Architect-Director at Gruhasta (pvt) Ltd (1998-2000) and the Chief Architect of Design Concepts Architects, in Colombo (1998-2000), his own practice. He has thus designed and built houses, a Multi-storey office complex, a Tourist Board Head Office, a Warehouse and Factory Complex for Exporting Tea, a Distilleries Warehouse and a number of Hotels. Dr. Ranjith Dayaratne has presented academic papers at international conferences across disciplinary boundaries and has published in academic architecture journals, professional magazines, edited books as well as UN working papers; from vernacular architecture to leisure places and from architectural theory to migrant places. He was the main contributor on Sri Lanka to the Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World, edited by Prof. Paul Oliver and published by Blackwells. He re-edited three articles on Sri Lanka, in the Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World in 2015, edited by Prof. Mercel Vellinga, the Professor of Vernacular Studies at the Oxford Brooks University, UK. He was the Founder Chairman of the Board of Architectural Publications (BAP) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA, 1995-2000) which publishes ‘The Architect’. He was the Founder Editor of 'Forum'; a student’ research publication at the University of Newcastle, UK (1990-1992). He founded and edited the internationally refereed journal ‘Built-environment-Sri Lanka’ published by the SLIA Since 2011. He founded and edits the ‘ISVS e-journal’ published by the International Society for the Study of Vernacular Settlements (ISVS) since 2012 and indexed by Scopus from 2015-2023. He is also the founding editor of ‘Cities People Places’ an internationally refereed urban design Journal published by the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka since 2015 and is its editor. In 2024, he established the ‘Asian School of Knowledge’ (ASK) as an institution dedicated to the production and dissemination of knowledge by means of publishing research journals and organizing conferences and workshops. ASK publishes four journals since 2024 and organises two conferences annually: ISVS conference being one of them.

Keynote Speaker was Hoang Thuc Hao Hoang, Architect, 1+1>2 Architects, Vietnam.

Hoang Thuc Hao Hoang leads the 1+1>2 Architects, practicing in Vietnam. He is also the Vice President of the Vietnam Institute of Architects. Hoang Thuc Hao Hoang is the first Vietnamese architect to win the 2016 SIA-GETZ Award for Outstanding Architect in Asia, and also the first Vietnamese to be awarded 02 major awards (organized once in every three years): The Vassilis Sgoutas Prize for Implemented Architecture Serving the Impoverished 2017 & The Robert Matthew Prize for Sustainable and Humane Environments 2023 by the International Union of Architects (UIA). UIA has said: "Hoang Thuc Hao pays special attention to rural areas and poor communities, highlighting the role of architects in the process of social construction and renovation. Deeply understanding and adapting to local conditions, Hoang has pioneered innovations. Through his work, people participating and being an integral part of the construction process are empowered to improve their living environment. Not only does he aim for sustainability in construction, but more importantly, he respects and promotes cultural value in his works - an aspect often overlooked in developing economies." In fact, Hoang Thuc Hao is one of the few Vietnamese architects with a clear community mindset in combining the natural and living environments with strong community and cultural connections. His architecture focuses on the practical support of communities through diverse projects such as community houses, workers' houses, schools for disadvantaged children and new rural villages. An effective approach, combining academic knowledge and folk experience, natural elements, and core indigenous culture, his work is an effective testament to the preservation and promotion of local identity, in a contemporary context. He has proposed the philosophy of 'architecture of happiness' suggesting that architecture is not simply about designing and creating space but can bring about justice and happiness. He will tell us how this is done.

Keynote Speaker 3 was the Architect Nripal Adhikary of ABARI, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Based in Kathmandu, Nepal, Nripal Adhikary runs a socially and environmentally committed research, design and construction practice ABARI. Through ABARI, he promotes the idea of owner-driven reconstruction taking inspiration from resilient vernacular practices, perfected over centuries. ABARI is dedicated to developing contemporary ways of utilising vernacular knowledge. He also delves into extensive research and material testing, as well as the demonstration of these findings via tangible projects showcasing the strength, scale and flexibility of natural materials. The architecture firm essentially operates on the belief that a healthy, sustainable, creative and prosperous life can be lived by utilising the natural resources around us. They believe that these natural resources bear the potential of being moulded into entities embodying strength and flexibility comparable to industrial materials, whilst also remaining ecologically sound, easily renewable, cheaper, lighter and easy to transport and dispose of, especially in Nepal, which is home to more than 50 bamboo species that cover more than 60,000 hectares. Through ABARI, he focuses on understanding and examining vernacular architecture to utilise these practices to build structures that are more contemporarily styled, encompass modern services, and also make use of modern provisions. The firm primarily employs local natural materials such as bamboo, stones, reed and adobe as opposed to concrete and steel. ABARI has created supply chains for the materials that they use, most of which are obtained locally. In fact, ABARI also seeks to build structures that are earthquake resistant and offer a healthy, energy-efficient and sustainable alternative to conventional building practices. In fact, Nripal Adhikary and his Nepalese architecture studio undertakes research and experimentation to redesign several traditional materials in order to cater to extant aesthetic sensibilities and functional needs. Further, the studio particularly focuses on material experimentation and testing and develops ways to utilise household and construction waste for reuse and energy generation. ABARI also hosts training sessions for individuals keen on learning traditional building techniques. Nripal Adhikary will share with us his vast knowledge and experience about understanding vernacular and engaging in design in creating a better world.

The Theme

Vernacular and Cultural Heritage go hand in hand. On the one hand, vernacular is undeniably a significant cultural heritage. On the other hand, cultural heritage exists everywhere including in the vernacular settlements. Whatever the case may be, cultural heritage has a significant role to play both in the present and the future of the human settlements. That is because Man is a social and cultural being and his existence requires him to be both socially and culturally anchored in a geographical space. Erase his cultural anchor, and he is going to be an uprooted wonderer, as the case of the Australian aborigines have clearly demonstrated, when uprooted from his abode by the Migrant settlers.To identify, conserve and articulate such cultural heritage, it must be first understood. The deeper meanings they carry have to be revealed and symbolic meanings have to be enriched. Indeed, both the present settlements as well as the future settlements would be poorer without such cultural heritage being layered underneath the communities inhabiting those settlement landscapes. Among many things that need to be done to identify, conserve and articulate cultural heritage, they must first be understood and documented. The ISVS-14 seminar invites the scholars dealing with vernacular settlements and cultural heritage to explore the numerous ways and means of understanding cultural heritage. These may include oral, verbal as well as manual documentations, not to mention other means such as buildings and structures, manuscripts and traditional ways of keeping the memories of such heritage alive along with the most modern digital technologies. Accordingly, following themes are suggested, but the papers are not limited to these themes. Other innovative papers can also be presented.

Sub Themes

Theme 1: Understanding Vernacular Heritage

Theme 2: Designing in Heritage Contexts

Theme 3: Designing for Enriching Heritage and Social Engagement.

Theme 4: Design Approaches in Vernacular and Heritage Buildings

Theme 5: Promoting Vernacular Culture through Multi-faceted Design Fields

Theme 6: Technology, Documentation, and Digital Design Futures

Theme 7: Vernacular Traditions, Culture, Rituals, Performances & Architecture

Theme 1: Understanding Vernacular Heritage

Vernacular heritage, architecture in particular, by nature, is an embodiment of cultural expressions, adaptability to climate and intelligence about materials and natural systems surrounding them. Every vernacular setting has to be understood on their own merits. Undeniably, vernacular responses to environmental elements like land forms, geography, water, light, ventilation, and thermal comfort are central to this discourse. In this context, this theme investigates how traditional vernacular heritage has provided and continue to provide valuable insights into creating culturally-rich, environmentally-responsive and resource-efficient design solutions for the past, the present and the future. Topics under this track may include the study of climate-adaptive design strategies present in vernacular models for architecture—such as passive cooling, thermal massing, and spatial orientation—as well as the use of local materials and craft-based constructions for sustainable construction. Emphasis is placed on understanding the ecological and spatial logic of the use of traditional systems, and how these can contribute to our understanding of Vernacular Heritage.

Theme 2: Designing in Heritage Contexts

Designing within or around heritage environments poses unique challenges and opportunities. This sub-theme focuses on how architects and designers engage with heritage contexts—such as historic neighborhoods, traditional urban cores, or culturally significant landscapes—through sensitive, site-specific, and adaptive approaches. It invites discussions on balancing preservation and transformation, negotiating regulatory frameworks, and integrating contemporary functions within heritage settings without compromising their integrity. Whether through conservation-led architecture, subtle insertions, or re-interpretive design responses, this sub-theme addresses how contemporary interventions can coexist with and enrich heritage environments, contributing to their continuity and renewed relevance.

Theme 3: Designing for Enriching Heritage and Social Engagement.

Heritage is not only about the built environment but also about people, memory, and lived experience. This sub-theme emphasizes design as a participatory and socially engaged act that can empower communities and activate cultural narratives. It explores how architecture and design can serve as tools for community building, intergenerational dialogue, cultural revival, and spatial justice. Projects and research that engage in participatory design processes, community heritage initiatives, cultural programming, and storytelling through spatial interventions are particularly welcome. The aim is to foster socially-inclusive and community-centered design practices that enrich heritage through active engagement and co-creation.

Theme 4: Design Approaches in Vernacular and Heritage Buildings

This sub-theme explores design strategies that are derived directly from the logics, techniques, and philosophies of vernacular architecture. It seeks to understand how traditional construction systems, spatial typologies, material knowledge, and environmental responsiveness can inform contemporary design practices. Case studies, built works, and experimental approaches that reinterpret or hybridize vernacular elements are encouraged. Emphasis is placed on crafts, construction details, material tactility, climate sensitivity, and cultural appropriateness. This sub-theme invites reflection on how these embedded traditions can be reactivated in design thinking—not as a nostalgic return to the past, but as a forward-looking, contextually rooted practice.

Theme 5: Promoting Vernacular Culture through Multi-faceted Design Fields

Design, in its broadest sense, is a cultural act that can preserve, amplify, and celebrate vernacular knowledge across numerous disciplines and media. This sub-theme focuses on how design thinking can promote awareness of vernacular culture through furniture and object design, product design, graphic design, and fashion/textile Design. It invites contributions that demonstrate how design—be it through exhibitions, installations, pedagogical tools, crafts-based innovations, digital storytelling, or cross-disciplinary collaborations—can serve as a platform for sustaining and reinterpreting vernacular culture in the contemporary society. The emphasis lies on activating cultural heritage as a dynamic and living entity that can evolve and thrive through creative and inclusive design engagement.

Theme 6: Technology, Documentation, and Digital Design Futures

Emerging technologies offer powerful tools to preserve, visualize, and reimagine vernacular heritage for design. This theme invited discussions on how digital media—such as 3D scanning, photogrammetry, BIM, and immersive technologies like AR/VR—are reshaping the ways in which heritage buildings and objects such as furniture are recorded, analyzed, and communicated. It also considers the role of AI, open-source platforms, and digital archives in building collaborative, accessible heritage knowledge systems that can inform visual, spatial, product, graphic and fashion/textile Design. Contributions may explore the reconstruction of lost or endangered heritage, as well as how digital technologies can support both conservation efforts and contemporary design inspired by vernacular traditions. The track bridges the past with the future, highlighting the evolving interface between tradition and innovation.

An Invitation to Participate