vn-a is an architectural and urban design practice operating between Vietnam and Germany. Positioned at the intersection of architecture, art, and urbanism, and at the crossroads of North, South, East, and West, our work explores the dialogue between diverse cultural, social, and architectural traditions.
The practice grew out of the realization of its founders' Diplom thesis project at TU Berlin, developed under the supervision of Professor Finn Geipel in 2008. The project culminated in the construction of the Ka Don Church, completed in 2014. Following this milestone, the founding partners, Huong Vu and Dung Nguyen, established their professional practice through a series of renovation projects for German embassies in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia and Vietnam, commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office.
After returning to Germany, Huong Vu and Dung Nguyen received several international awards, including an Honorable Mention in the European Prize of Sacred Architecture (2011), Second Prize at the International Award for Sacred Architecture, 6th Edition (2016), and the Hans Schäfer Prize, BDA Berlin (2016). They were subsequently admitted as members of the Berlin chapter of the Association of German Architects (BDA).
Architectural Teaching and Pedagogy: Since October 2016, Dung Nguyen has been working as an academic associate and teacher at IKE - Institute of Constructive Design, Industrial and Healthcare Building, Technical University of Braunschweig, while since April 2024, Huong Vu has been involved in teaching architecture with her design studio in the Dessau Institute of Architecture Master program (DIA), Hochschule Anhalt.
Today, vn-a's work spans industrial, cultural, religious, and civic architecture, as well as urban planning and design, with a particular interest in the relationship between structure, material, landscape, and place.
Since 2018, the practice has expanded to include a new generation of collaborators. Giang Vu, an architect, civil engineer, and construction manager, serves as Managing Director of vn-a Vietnam, contributing to the firm's work across both Vietnam and Germany.
Team: Huong Vu, Dung Nguyen, Giang Vu, Duong Le, Vu Do, Hiep Nguyen, Khiem Nguyen Nadler, Daniel Müller, Anna Bretschneider, Greta Sperling, Julia Böhnlein, Dang Nguyen, Dong Nguyen, Hieu Nham, Thang Nguyen, Huy Bui, Dieu Luong, Tu Ninh.