Part 2: Green architecture transforms education in rural areas

The origin of the idea

Tuần Giáo is a mountainous district with a complex terrain, and many schools are located in remote and hard-to-reach areas. Meanwhile, the educational infrastructure is in a state of serious deterioration. In some places, students still have to study under temporary roofs.

Đỗ Văn Sơn, Head of the Sub-department of Education and Training in Tuần Giáo District, said: “We have long struggled with the question of how to improve the learning conditions for the children. However, with limited budget resources, building new schools has faced many challenges. This is why our education sector actively sought suitable models for building schools, while also calling on organizations and philanthropists to support education in difficult areas like Tuần Giáo.” The encounter with 1+1>2 International Architecture and Construction Joint Stock Company was not a coincidence.

Under the leadership of architect Hoàng Thúc Hào, 1+1>2 has long been known for its sustainable, humanitarian community projects, using local materials and green architectural designs. In many regions, the company has used waste slag to make bricks, utilizing recycled materials and minimizing construction waste. The company’s projects always emphasize optimizing natural light and ventilation, helping to save energy. It also integrates green solutions, such as planting trees on roofs and using rainwater collection systems.

The company frequently collaborates with local communities during the design and construction process to ensure the projects meet the needs and culture of people, such as the community house in Tả Phìn (Lào Cai province), the community house in Nậm Đăm (Hà Giang Province), and the community house in Cẩm Thanh (Quảng Nam province). Lũng Luông Primary School in Võ Nhai district (Thái Nguyên province) is a newly completed project after two years of implementation by the 1+1>2 Company, based on using locally sourced earth bricks.

Đỗ Văn Sơn added: “As soon as we learned about the Lũng Luông school model by the 1+1>2 Company, we saw that this was a suitable direction for Tuần Giáo. Both sides share the desire to improve the learning conditions for children in mountainous areas, so our cooperation was very natural, almost like a necessary fate.” Unlike traditional buildings that require many industrial materials, the schools designed and built by the company are environmentally friendly.

Non-fired compressed earth bricks produced in Quài Nưa commune (Tuần Giáo district), stones sourced from local streams, bamboo, rattan, straw, and rice husks are all utilized. These materials not only help reduce costs but also blend seamlessly with nature, suitable for the local climate and culture. According to architect Hoàng Thúc Hào, a good project should not only meet technical requirements but also tell the story of the community. “During the construction of the schools in Tuần Giáo, we invited local people to participate right from the design stage, contributing ideas and working alongside us. This made each school not only a learning space but also a source of pride for the villages,” he said.

From green ideas to practical projects

In the mountains of Mường Khong commune (Tuần Giáo district), the newly built Khong Hin Kindergarten stands out like a vibrant flower amidst the vast landscape, spacious and full of life. Covering nearly 1,000m2, the facility includes 6 classrooms, 2 administrative rooms, a kitchen, a dining room, staff rooms, restrooms, playgrounds, sports fields, and modern landscaping. Everything is planned harmoniously, close to nature.

With a bright smile, principal Nguyễn Thị Yến took us on a tour of the campus. Standing in the spacious courtyard surrounded by greenery, the school built from non-fired compressed earth bricks, river stones, bamboo, and rattan gives a feeling of being close to nature, harmonized with the sounds of children’s laughter, creating a lively symphony in the mountainous area. “This has been the dream of our teaching staff for years. A true school with spacious classrooms, clean playgrounds, and proper sanitation facilities,” said Yến.

Previously, Khong Hin Kindergarten consisted of cramped, hot tin-roofed rooms with few toys or equipment. However, thanks to the support from Vinschool through the EDURUN program and the involvement of local authorities and residents, the school was invested with a total funding of nearly VND 7 billion. With the design from the 1+1>2 Company and the contributions of labor, time, and materials from parents and the community, the project was completed in January 2025 and was accredited as a national standard school level 1. Since the new school was built, the attendance rate of children has remained above 95%, and the quality of teaching and care has significantly improved. Now, the school is not just a place for knowledge, but also a symbol of unity, determination, and love - a flower blooming strongly in the mountains of Mường Khong.

Currently, there are 4 schools in Tuần Giáo district built with environmentally friendly materials, including Hua Mức 3 (Pú Xi Kindergarten), Háng Tàu (Tỏa Tình Kindergarten), Háng Tàu (Tỏa Tình Primary and Secondary School), and Khong Hin Kindergarten. Three other schools, Bản Lồng and Háng Tàu of Tỏa Tình Primary and Secondary School and Hua Mức 1 (Pú Xi Kindergarten), are also being constructed using this model.

These new eco-friendly schools are helping to improve infrastructure and raise awareness about environmental protection. In these schools, children not only learn to read and write but also grow up in an environment that fosters a love for nature, a sense of community, and the aspiration to reach for greater horizons. These simple projects are quietly continuing the beautiful story of a humanitarian education system in the heart of the mountainous Northwest.