Q GALLERY- A BIG TREE POT IN THE HEART OF THE CITY

Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam is the largest city in the country, a spearhead of economic, trade, and service. But besides that, it is the outstanding development that this place has to face the problems of urbanization, concreting, greenhouse effect, and pollution problems of air, sound, light and especially is lack of green area. Currently, the ratio of trees/person in modern cities in the world is popular from 20-25 m2/person. In which, many countries achieved a high rate such as Singapore 30.3 m2/person, Seoul (Korea) 41 m2/person, Berlin (Germany) 50 m2/person, etc. The United Nations' minimum green target is offered at a minimum of 10 m2. According to the General Department of Forestry, currently, the ratio of trees per person in Vietnam's big cities is at 2-3 m2/person. This fact shows that the actual proportion of urban greenery in Vietnam is only 1/5 to 1/10 compared to the world. Therefore, the mission of architects is to not only fulfill the functional requirements of the investor but also to ensure contributing to urban greening for the top goal of our country.
Located at the branch road to Vo Van Kiet Boulevard, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, the land has the surrounding context is houses and schools, so how to create privacy, isolate noise, and reduce heat radiation for users is also a challenge to the project.
The functional requirements of the investor about building a different identity but still demonstrating the rationality from function to form have led to the idea of a "big tree pot in the heart of the city", the office block is a pot, and apartment blocks are plants The contrast to the design lines of the base block and the upper part makes the building even more prominent.
The solution offered by A+ Architects is to turn the hotel balconies into smooth green branches, which in addition to helping to overcome the above disadvantages, also creates a prominent identity for the project. In addition, the combination of solid array and glass (scale in the direction of the sun ) from the 2nd to the 6th floor also helps to limit radiation according to the angle of the sun and reduces the cost compared to using the whole by the glass.
The project is a 19-story building block of 15 floors and 4 basements, the first floor is the lobby space combined with the office, the 2nd to 5th floors are the office space, the 6th floor is the shared office space (coworking ), the 7th floor is the area for restaurant, cafe and technical area, 8th to 14th floor are the area for serviced apartments. In particular, the large pot plant of the project is arranged from the 6th floor and the swimming pool space is located on the 15th floor.
The big technical challenge is how to modularize the pots that are the most convenient for construction as well as handle the water supply and drainage problem for the potted plant system. The main solution is to use GRP technology concrete material (an ultra-light material for making plant pots ) and set up a natural water collection system for water plants.
In addition, to meet the investor's desire for an impressive facade architecture but reasonable in terms of cost and construction techniques, the architects took advantage of the balconies to make the facade, and at the same time, modularize arch-shaped precast concrete slabs to solve this cost and possible problem. With a limited budget, the project is also combined with the use of local materials, or materials exploited within a close radius to complete the exterior and interior of the building, typically granite, recycled wood, and bamboo, etc.
Q Gallery Building not only is an office complex combined with serviced apartments but also a landscape highlight of the Sai Gon riverside road and contributes to improving the microclimate for the surrounding environment and reducing the pressure on urban concreting. Try adding "big potted plants" to your urban lack of green space.

Site area: 831.7 m2
Building height: 15 Floors and 4 Basements
Total site coverage: 59%

Principle Architect: Vu Hoang Kha
Technical Manager: Tu Phan Nguyen Truong
Designers: Nguyen Trong Huan, Nguyen Long An, Tran Thi Ly Na, Luong Van Tau, Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, Le Anh Huy, Lam Hoang Minh Tri, Le Quoc Kiet, Ho Ngoc Bao Vy.

Q GALLERY- A BIG TREE POT IN THE HEART OF THE CITY by Aplus Architects in Vietnam won the WA Award Cycle 38. Please find below the WA Award poster for this project.