Vietnamese bamboo building wins major American prize

A bamboo building inside Muong Museum, some 80 kilometres west of Hanoi, has just been awarded a silver prize in the Cultural Architecture category by the organisers of the American Architecture Prize 2016.
The structure was also given a prize in the Social Design category at the American Bamboo Society Arts and Crafts Competition in mid-September.
Titled “Bamboo – Light of Empty Heart”, the building was designed in 2014 by architect Hoang Minh and the Hanoi-based Akasha (Akasa) Company.
It covers 350 square metres and serves as an art exhibition hall at the Muong Museum, a private museum featuring the ethnic minority Muong group, run by painter Vu Duc Hieuin the northern province of Hoa Binh.
“The main idea is to highlight the hidden values of bamboo and easy ways for everyone to build by hand, and save on costs,” Minh said about the concept behind the building. 
“The construction is designed|to enhance the quality of natural light, and uses a vertical bamboo ladder form, a very popular home tool, throughout the composition.”
He added that the other key in the structure is a skylight. “It makes an example of bamboo elements and is well-suited to art exhibitions at the same time. Here, bamboo structures, utilising empty space, are creating exciting forms,” Minh said.
The American Architecture Prize jury has selected best designs in over 40 categories across the disciplines of architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture with the goal of advancing the appreciation of architecture worldwide.
Each submitted design was evaluated on its form, function, and innovation.
The American Bamboo Society (ABS) was formed in 1979.