Self-built housing in Hanoi: The study of socio-cultural values and its influence on housing design

The study explores the relationship between socio-cultural values and its influence on housing design in Hanoi city, Vietnam. Since the reforming period starting in Vietnam in the 1980s, the contemporary housing design has been influenced by globalization and modernization. Houses were designed as international and modern styles. It has been commonly believed that the contemporary designs have destroyed the regional identity that often seen in the tradition in Vietnam. Due to that reason, this study is to examine how socio-cultural values influence on the designs, and how architectural elements reflected socio-cultural concepts in Hanoi City, Vietnam.
We will explore how three issues of city development, sense of community and housing need were interactively related in Hanoi city, Vietnam. The relationship between these three issues changed during four periods: the traditional urban neighbourhood period during the late nineteenth century, the French colonialism period (1874 to 1954), the central economic planning period (1955 to 1986) and the new economic renovation period after the 1980s. The distinctive feature of housing design and built in all four periods has been that a large proportion of the housing are self-built in these four periods and also defined the sense of the community. Vietnamese self-built housing have become the main features of the regional identity.
We would argue that despite application of new materials, urban regulations, policies and construction techniques have had great influence on the city development, socio-cultural perception and daily activities in the houses still play important roles that define the sense of community.