I came to know NKP Architects, the office of the Vietnamese architect Nguyễn Khắc Phước in Nghe An, Vietnam, through one of his houses. Later, as he worked with the photographer Trieu Chien to document more of his houses, we had the chance to talk.
I share this short conversation so readers can follow the portrait of a young architect making his own way in practice.
When did you first think of becoming an architect, and why?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: I discovered bonsai and fell in love with it when I was still a primary school pupil. That passion shaped and steered my choice to become an architect from my secondary school years.
Which architect has inspired you and most shaped your view of design?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: Different architects have inspired me at different times. Perhaps the first was Le Corbusier: the essence of space and material that endures.
Beyond architecture, what else interests you?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: The art of bonsai, as I said.
When you begin a project, what do you care about most?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: First, whether the client and the architect can find common ground. Then the context, the needs and the cost.
Working with you in recent years, we’ve seen NKP Architects build many houses in different provinces. You’ve also talked about a series of contemporary three-bay houses. Could you tell us more, and why you approach houses this way?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: I was born in a small place, and I’ve been lucky to build in many rural areas where neighbours still live together in a friendly, open way. That brings me a lot of energy and joy in my work.
I also want to go further, to try myself in different settings beyond the city, to keep growing, and to bring beauty to the countryside across the country.
How has life in and around your buildings affected their surroundings?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: I’m very happy when I revisit a house and see the owners still caring for it, and when they share the pleasure of even the smallest change, a plant or a vase of flowers. A house isn’t only somewhere to live, but somewhere to love and to enjoy beauty. In this way, each house becomes an ambassador, carrying our architectural message to the people around it.
What do you think of traditional architecture, and traditional vernacular houses in particular? What have you learned and applied in the rural houses NKP Architects has built?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: Traditional architecture in general, and traditional houses in particular, reflect the culture and way of life of each region, and remain a basis for the development of society and of modern architecture. In our buildings, the use of tradition shows most clearly in materials, in the arrangement of light, and in living spaces that follow the way of life of each region, especially in the "Ba Gian" series.
How important is light in your buildings, and how do you feel about light in NKP’s projects?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: Light is an artistic tool the designer uses to act on and shape space, and to reveal things as intended in each particular setting. We usually try to make calm, comfortable spaces with indirect light, a little sun just enough to filter through leaves, or a buffer space of some kind.
What does empty space within a building mean to you?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: In our buildings we make deliberate voids, pauses, places to be still, to bring out light and plants, or to move from one space to another.
Sustainable architecture is understood in many ways, but we believe it is truly needed now and in the future. What do you think? Do NKP’s buildings follow that thinking?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: The idea of sustainable architecture is very broad. To put it briefly, in our buildings sustainability lies in fitting the owners’ way of life, the culture and the local setting, and above all in the building lasting over the years. A lasting building must balance beauty, practicality and suitability for its owners.
Is there a building you’ve always wanted to make? Why?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: I’d like to build a rural house in the river country of the south. It would be a fascinating experience, with a way of life and a setting completely new to me.
What do you think about carefully documenting, photographing and recording the office’s finished projects? Why does it matter?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: Documenting finished projects is important. It marks, or closes, a building I’ve lived through. One step taken among thousands. It lets you look back, improve, and make your path in architecture clearer.
As an architect, how do you see Vietnamese architecture today?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: Vietnamese architecture is increasingly open to new trends and new ideas, and together with social progress, that gives architects a chance to practise better.
And what is the architect’s role in society today?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: Society keeps developing. Architecture plays no small part in shaping ways of life and carrying forward the traditional values of Vietnamese culture.
What is the most important quality in practising architecture?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: For me, perseverance.
Your favourite saying about architecture or architects?
Nguyễn Khắc Phước: "Passion isn’t enough. You need perseverance with direction."
Interview by Anh Nguyen. Photos by Trieu Chien.