Location: Hue, Vietnam

Professor: Bill Truitt

Typology: Monastery

Area: 23,879 sf

Located in Hue, Vietnam, within the historic context of the Imperial City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the monastery sits along the edge of the citadel & preserves the existing open field while framing views towards the Perfume River.

The design centers on the open field, with building geometry shaped by the site’s topography. The program includes communal halls, a workshop, classrooms, meditation spaces, and residential units. These spaces are balanced between public & private zones, & connected through the circulation tunnels.

Constructed in mass timber & wood, the architecture emphasizes warmth and stillness, reflecting traditional Vietnamese architecture, where wood construction and operable panel systems are common. A system of vertical wood bifold panels creates a permeable envelope, allowing the building to open and close in response to climate, light, and user needs. The project operates as a series of frames, mediating between the citadel and the surrounding site.