Vietnam Talks SHoP To Design Country's First Independent University

New York based architecture firm SHoP architects were selected by the the US-based Trust for University Innovation in Vietnam (TUIV) to design a new campus for Fulbright University Vietnam.

“Working with the FUV team from the ground up to develop the university’s programs and spaces is an incredible honor and just the sort of challenge we thrive on,” SHoP Principal Gregg Pasquarelli said.

“The best buildings and public spaces often come from a process where architects are given the chance to push the envelope beyond traditional design services.”

Carrying forward the legacy of its namesake, Senator J. William Fulbright, FUV is Vietnam’s first independent, non-profit institution of higher education, aspiring to serve Vietnamese society through innovative teaching programs and impactful research aimed at supporting Vietnam’s continued development and addressing the grand challenges facing Vietnam and the world.

The university was officially announced in 2016 by President Obama during his visit to Vietnam.

“We are eager to work with SHoP in building a campus that creates spaces to foster new ways of learning,” FUV Founding President Dam Bich Thuy said.

“The firm is highly recognised for its achievements in technological innovation and sustainability, which will also be core values of Fulbright University Vietnam.”

Earlier this year, SHoP won an international competition ahead of more than a dozen other accomplished global firms.

The architects travelled to Vietnam last month for the project kick-off and visits to the university's two Ho Chi Minh City sites - 25 hectares (62 acres) at the Saigon High Tech Park in District 9, where FUV will build its flagship campus, and an additional one hectare (2.5 acres) site in District 7 close to the city centre, where the program will focus on professional education and building connections with the public.

Work on the project is currently underway and FUV anticipates opening the first of its new facilities to students in 2018.