Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc hands over gifts to leader of the Việt Nam Association of Architects a ceremony in Hà Nội on Saturday. – VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI – Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has urged Vietnamese architects to develop designs suitable for rural and flood-hit areas in order to promote the socio-economic development of each locality and the country as a whole.

Addressing a ceremony in Hà Nội on Saturday to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Việt Nam Association of Architects (VAA), the Prime Minister recognised the contributions of architects to the development of both urban and rural areas.

Many architects, particularly young ones, have gained success and earned honours both inside and outside the country, he said.

The VAA in recent years has actively updated its activities, particularly in contributing opinions to related policies and legal regulations as well as to important architecture planning projects of the country, the PM added.

However, he pointed out that over the past few years, the number of architectural works and urban areas with high aesthetic and cultural value has remained small. Many rural areas have been influenced by urbanisation, reducing the prevalence of traditional architectural styles.

The PM asked the VAA and relevant State agencies to join hands in tackling these problems.

He quoted the late President Hồ Chí Minh as saying that it is necessary to pay special attention to develop houses in rural areas by seeking simple, clean and airy house designs at reasonable cost.

Asserting that green architecture and smart urban development is the world’s major trend, he urged the VAA to take a pioneering role in shaping Vietnamese architecture to become greener, more beautiful and modern with convenient and humanitarian living spaces that are sustainable and friendly to the environment.

This is also part of efforts to deal with environmental instability, natural disasters and climate change, to which Việt Nam is among the most vulnerable countries.

Experts at a recent workshop in HCM City predicted that there will be a boom in green buildings in Việt Nam if the community’s awareness of environmental protection improves.

Green buildings are defined as those with high efficiency in the use of energy and materials. They don’t have much adverse effects on human health and the environment.

Việt Nam now ranks 17th in Asia and 37th in the world in the number of green buildings, but the construction of such buildings has been steadily increasing, going up from 28 in 2016 to 48 last year, according to Trần Khánh Trung, president of the HCM City Green Architecture Club.

PM Phúc suggested that the VAA should focus on a number of issues, including encouraging architects to improve their capacity and engage in socio-economic development movements of the country. He also said they should show stronger performance in social consultations, supervision and criticism by sharing ideas on the development of legal documents, strengthening IT application and solidifying the organisation of the VAA.

The PM said that the Government hopes to listen to the voices of architects in developing the constructive administrative system to serve the people.

According to VAA President Nguyễn Tấn Vạn, so far, Việt Nam has more than 15,000 architects. From eight founding members in 1948, the VAA now boasts over 4,000 members, he added. —VNA