Urban Paradise

With a thriving, self-sustaining ecosystem complete with an aquaponic garden, the tranquil Koi Cafe in Hanoi, Vietnam, designed by Farming Architects, is an oasis that offers its guests welcomed respite from the cacophony of urban life.

- Alifiya Mehamdabadwala

In their small way, Vietnamese architect An Viet Dung and his team at Farming Architects have, through their work, set an example for all to follow. The team of young architects identify themselves as farmers and strive to create environmentally sustainable living spaces, which one would agree are the need of the hour. “We not only cultivate green ideas but also treat each project in isolation and execute it with utmost care. This journey has helped us to deeply analyze and understand many things — nature, geography, people, climate...” explains An Viet Dung.

Their most recent project, Koi Cafe at Hanoi in Vietnam, was executed based on the principle of sustainable living with a design centred around an aquaponics system. For the uninitiated, this method combines conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment.