The 'greening' trend in world architecture

The era of green architecture is upon us.

First, it must be defined that "green architecture" is not simply a building with lots of greenery. A truly green architectural project is built from environmentally friendly materials, maximizing the use of natural light and airflow to minimize energy consumption. Green architecture is an architectural trend that creates living spaces with many amenities for people in a way that is least harmful to the environment, aiming to preserve the quality of life for both the present and the future.

Green architecture has long been applied in exemplary projects such as Nanyang University in Singapore.

In Asia, green architecture has long been applied with exemplary projects such as the Zero Carbon Building in Hong Kong, Nanyang University in Singapore, and the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. In Vietnam, this trend is also gradually becoming widespread, starting with office buildings like President Place and Centre Point, public works such as Pouchen Kindergarten in Dong Nai, Big C shopping mall in Di An, and private housing projects. Most notably, the green architecture trend is not only sweeping through major cities but is also gradually entering the homes of ethnic minorities in the high mountains. One of the most outstanding green architecture projects, awarded the Vietnam Green Architecture Award and the Asia Green Architecture Award, is the community homestay in Nam Dam ethnic village, Quan Ba ​​district, Ha Giang province. Based on the traditional brick house structure of the Dao people, the new design has been improved to maximize natural light and ventilation, as well as reuse water from the mountainside for daily life.

Pouchen Kindergarten - Dong Nai

The environmental, economic, and social benefits of green architecture are increasingly recognized, thanks to its energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction. Dr. Pamela Phua – Director of Research & Development for Exterior Paints at AkzoNobel Global Decorative Paints – believes that the future of architectural art lies in homes filled with greenery, living spaces infused with the essence of nature, and constructed from sustainable materials, thus providing a healthier life for homeowners. Currently, the scale of green architecture in Vietnam is expected to expand rapidly due to the strong development of recycled materials, energy-saving materials, and environmentally friendly materials.

Green materials – a key component of sustainable architecture.

A green building must necessarily be constructed using sustainable, environmentally friendly materials. These are materials that minimize negative impacts on the environment throughout the manufacturing, construction, and usage processes, while still providing comfort and convenience to users. This is also the requirement of designers, architects, and contractors when undertaking green projects.

Paint, while only a small percentage of a construction project's investment budget, has the potential to make the structure more sustainable. According to Dr. Pamela Phua, environmentally friendly paints should be water-based rather than oil-based (solvent-based), with low CO2 emissions and more efficient energy saving. Dr. Phua also emphasized that a highly durable paint coating is itself a sustainable green material because it reduces maintenance costs and limits harmful environmental impacts.

In the market, the Dulux Professional paint line fully satisfies these criteria. Dulux is one of the few brands awarded the Green Label by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) for its environmental safety. Products in the Dulux Professional range incorporate advanced technologies to alleviate energy pressure on buildings. For example, the KeepCool™ technology in the Weathershield exterior paint line reduces the outside wall temperature by up to 50°C compared to conventional paints of the same color, partially addressing the energy saving challenges in today's urban areas. Notably, the black color of Weathershield paint has a heat reflection capacity of up to 30%, while other black paints only reflect a few percent. Furthermore, Weathershield is a pioneering paint brand that establishes measurements and research on the harmful effects of weather on architecture to optimize product features. Calculations show that a house painted with Weathershield will be protected from 10,000 hours of sunlight, 2 million liters of rainwater, and 6 tons of dirt over 6 years. Furthermore, Weathershield Express exterior paint in the Dulux Professional range incorporates a groundbreaking two-layer coating system instead of the previous three-layer method. This not only saves contractors time and effort but also contributes to reducing the paint's impact on the surrounding environment. By paying attention to even the smallest details during construction, such as paint selection, we are taking a step towards greening the earth through architectural projects and greening Vietnam in line with global green trends.

The Thanh