AR Awards for Emerging Architecture	Honourable mention	December 2007
VO TRONG NGHIA	Wind and water café	Binh Duong, Vietnam
While appearing archaic and unsophisticated, this apparently primitive lashed-together structure incorporates an evaporative cooling technique and principles of aerodynamics. As part of a passive ventilation strategy, the whole building effectively becomes an air-conditioning system in its own right, and is expressed as three component parts: roof, room and a 150mm deep pool. The generous roof not only provides essential shade from the Vietnamese sun, but is also shaped to harness the wind. With this, as the wind passes over the ponds, the roofs draw cool air across the space. In consideration of the structural limitations of bamboo, limited amounts of steel were used to make principal members and their connections more efficient. These include concealed cruciform masts clad in bamboo and suspension cables that are more fully expressed. Otherwise the whole roof construction is locally sourced organic material, with rattan ties and a water coconut roof covering. Other delightful touches include the column-mounted light pipes that comprise short lengths of bamboo filled with torch-like light-fittings. R. G. Architect Vo Trong Nghia, Ho Chi Minh City Project team Vo Trong Nghia, Nguyen Hoa Hiep, Ohara Hisanori Email vtnghia@hotmail.com