1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Can Tho
Region
Asia
Native title of the NBS intervention
K-Villa+ (Cần Thơ)
Short description of the intervention
Located in the heart of Hung Phu, a new urban area within Can Tho, K-Villa+ has been designed to "mak[e] the most of open and harmonious space[s] with nature, using green design solutions to improve bioclimatic comfort for users, while respecting sustainable values ​​and being friendly to the living environment" (Ref. 5). The low construction density of the building project has been coupled with prioritisation and installation of green areas both on the building itself and in the surrounding ground; permeable coverings to increase water percolation, and landscaping with native and climate-adapted trees and plants (Refs. 1 & 5.) An ecological pond has further been included in the landscaping of the villa's grounds and a rainwater harvesting system has been installed (Ref. 3). Through the application of these green design solutions, the urban heat island is considered to be reduced and bioclimate improved for those within the building, and biodiversity promoted through the planting of a variety of native species (Refs. 1, 2, 3 & 5).

Note that due to a lack of data, the exact point location of the villa is not depicted in the map below, but rather the new urban district, Hung Phu, in which the villa sits.
Address

Hung Phu
Can Tho
Vietnam

Total area
1800.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
unknown
End date of the intervention
2020
Present stage of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
The building design as a whole was adapted to Lotus Home Standard for Green Building (certified by the Vietnam Green Building Council), which seeks to maximise harmonisation with nature, bioclimatic enhancement for both comfort and health and respect for the environment more broadly (Ref. 2). Regarding the NBS specific goals, the design stage saw prioritisation of green space, water surfaces, rainwater-absorbing surfaces and green roof space, with the intention of reducing the urban heat island effect (Ref. 2). The landscaping around the building focused on planting "a variety of trees native to the local area" (Ref. 3) and installing a soft-banked ecological fish pond to be planted with aquatic plants for natural water filtration (Ref. 5).
Quantitative targets
Unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?
Implementation activities
The following activities have been implemented to realise the above-outlined objectives and targets:
- "34.8% of the site area is covered with vegetation (with 27 different species, mostly native and climate-adapted) and pot plants installed on all the balconies and roofs" (Ref. 1). Vegetation planted comprised "fruit trees, local green trees (milk apple, mango, rambutan, embankment, brooch, bougainvillea [and] porcelain flower (Ref. 5).
The "soft-bank ecological aquarium" was further planted with "aquatic plants [for] natural water filtration, [including lotus, water lily, gotu kola [and] water bamboo" (Ref. 5).
- "56.3% of average site perviousness thanks to using of open-grid pavement, green roof and unbound pavers" (Ref. 1). Priority was given to "green areas, water surface[s], rainwater-absorbent grass surface[s and] trees on the roof" (Ref. 5).
- The roof garden "has the function of preventing heat from downstairs and retaining some part of the water [in] heavy rains and minimi[sing] the concrete effect" (Ref. 4).
- A green wall "is designed...to create freshness", with the intention of residents being able to "experience the natural sounds, floral scents and cool breeze" (Ref. 4).

In addition to improving the bioclimate for the residents of the villa, the reduced heat island effect which has been afforded through building design and use of NBS can be accessed by others in the wider community as the creation of a "landscape[d] path of 6m [was] opened (meaning that the living area of ​​the owner is reduced) forming a bridge for people around to access the green park area" (Ref. 5). Neighbouring residents are able to use the path "to travel, exercise, take pictures, cool off, etc. [and] to create community activities around the project" (Ref. 5).


Whilst not as a direct result of NBS implementation, it is also worth noting that "during construction, measures were implemented to recycle construction waste, minimize construction noise, limit air, land and water pollution impacting the neighborhood", thus the project sought to minimise localised environmental impacts through other means, too (Ref. 1).
Type of NBS project
Please specify other type of green wall
Unknown
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Nature on buildings (external)
Green roofs
Green walls or facades
Balcony greens
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
House gardens
Blue infrastructure
Lakes/ponds
Green areas for water management
Other
Please specify "other green areas for water management"
Green areas for water management solutions not specified - examples mentioned include semi-pervious paving and the ecological pond.
Type of Green Wall
What is the level of innovation / development of the NBS related to water management?
Vegetation Type
Please specify how many trees were planted
27 different species, mostly native and climate-adapted, but it is unclear how many trees in total were planted (Ref. 1).
Amenities offered by the NBS
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes)
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Flood regulation
Water purification / filtration
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Please specify "other primary beneficiary"
The main beneficiary of this project would likely be the residents within the villa, although benefits can be seen on the wider community e.g. through reduction of the urban heat island and effect, and access to the pathway alongside the villa which increases accessibility to a local, public greenspace area, and also offers opportunities for others within the community to "travel, exercise, take pictures, cool off, etc. [and] to create community activities around the project" (Ref. 5).
Governance
Governance arrangements
Non-government actors
Private sector/Corporate/Business
Citizens or community groups
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Whilst the exact roles of individuals in the project are unknown, an architect was involved in the overall design of the project, and presumably the residents of the villa, too, hereby indicated as "citizens".
Land owners
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
No
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Co-finance for NBS
No
Co-financing governance arrangements
No
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Financing
Total cost
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Type of fund(s) used
Non-financial contribution
No
Business models
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Please specify technological innovation
The inclusion of NBS elements into the building design could be considered an infrastructural innovation as it benefits residents and biodiversity as compared to a traditionally designed building which does not include green infrastructure elements.
Novelty level of the innovation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
No information is provided on whether the project has been copied from other initiatives.
Replicability/Transferability
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
No information is provided on whether the project will be copied to other initiatives.
Impacts, benefits
Description of environmental benefits
Incorporation of NBS into the project has resulted in:
- reduced urban heat island effect (Ref. 5);
- reduced emissions, "The synchronous combination of ventilation solutions - natural lighting, roof insulation (green roof, hollow brick floor), water surface trees... helps the house use artificial energy economically and efficiently" (Ref. 5);
- improved water quality and stormwater management (from typhoons in particular) through the installation of the "ecological pond [which] helps to absorb rainwater" (Ref. 2) and is "planted [with] aquatic plants [for] natural water filtration" (Ref. 5);
- "In the future, the owner can use the filter system to reuse rainwater into a source of pure drinking water" (Ref. 2); and
- increased greenspace, improved biodiversity and presence of native plant species as compared conventional builds, "34.8% of the site area is covered with vegetation (with 27 different species, mostly native and climate-adapted) and pot plants installed on all the balconies and roofs" (Refs. 1 & 5).
Economic impacts
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Description of social and cultural benefits
The primary social and cultural benefits will likely be experienced by those living within these buildings, benefitting from increased management of rain/stormwater (Ref. 2); and improved access to green space within the confines of the property (Ref. 1). This provides the opportunity for those living within the property to "admire the natural beauty of the garden around the house. while working and living" (Ref. 5). However, these benefits additionally have the potential to be experienced by the community living in proximity to the villa, in addition to increased access to both new and existing urban greenspace through the establishment of the landscaped path for "people to access the green park area", which also provides opportunities for recreation, social interaction and opportunity to benefit from the reduced urban heat island effect (Ref. 5).
Type of reported impacts
Indicators
Quantitative indicators for the NBS interventions included within this project are relatively sparse, but as summarised by Ref. 1, the project has seen:
"34.8% of the site area [be] covered with vegetation (with 27 different species, mostly native and climate-adapted) and pot plants installed on all the balconies and roofs", and "56.3% of average site perviousness thanks to use of open-grid pavement, green roof and unbound pavers".

Ref. 5 further summarises how the project had a "low construction density (<15%), giving priority to green areas, water surface, rainwater-absorbent grass surface, trees on the roof, etc., contributing to reducing the urban heat island effect", and how the landscape was "planted with fruit trees, local green trees (milk apple, mango, rambutan, embankment, brooch, bougainvillea, porcelain flower...), [and the] soft-bank ecological aquarium, planted aquatic plants with natural water filtration. natural (lotus, water lily, gotu kola, water bamboo...)", giving an indication of the native species included as green infrastructural elements within the site.
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of November of 2021.
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
No
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
No
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
No
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
No
References
List of references
1. Vietnam Green Building Council (n.d.) K-Villa+ awarded LOTUS Gold green building certification. Hanoi: Vietnam Green Building Council. https://vgbc.vn/en/k-villa-achieved-lotus-gold-certification/ [accessed 14/10/21];
2. ArchDaily (2020). K-Villa+ / Space + Architecture. Santiago/Beijing: ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily.com/940892/k-villa-plus-space-plus-architecture [accessed 14/10/21];
3. Gallagher, K (2020). Villa in Vietnam prioritizes natural light and green space. El Segundo, CA: InHabitat. https://inhabitat.com/villa-in-vietnam-prioritizes-natural-light-and-green-space/ [accessed 14/10/21];
4. Archello (n.d.). Tropical villa in Vietnam. Amsterdam: Archello. https://archello.com/project/k-villa [accessed 14/10/21; and
5. Ashui (2020). K-Villa+ (Cần Thơ) / thiết kế: SPACE+ [K-Villa+ (Can Tho) / design: SPACE+]. Hanoi: Ashui. https://ashui.com/mag/duan/tu-van-thiet-ke/16161-k-villa-can-tho-thiet-ke-spaceplus.html [accessed 14/10/21].
Comments and notes
Additional insights
Green areas for water management solutions not specified.
The green roof, balconies and wider landscaped garden areas in combination with semi-pervious paving and the ecological pond are considered to improve water management (Ref. 5). Furthermore, as summarised by Ref. 3, "The villa employs a rain reuse system to help irrigate its many plants, with plans to turn the system into a drinking water source".
Public Images
Image
Front of the villa including the publicly accessible green walkway
Front of the villa including the publicly accessible green walkway
https://vgbc.vn/en/k-villa-achieved-lotus-gold-certification/
Image
Ecological pond and native vegetation at the villa
Ecological pond and native vegetation at the villa
https://inhabitat.com/villa-in-vietnam-prioritizes-natural-light-and-green-space/k-villa37/
Image
Aerial view of the villa and green public walkway
Aerial view of the villa and green public walkway
https://www.archdaily.com/940892/k-villa-plus-space-plus-architecture
Image
Balcony and roofgarden greenery on the villa
Balcony and roofgarden greenery on the villa
https://www.archdaily.com/940892/k-villa-plus-space-plus-architecture
Image
Publicly accessible greened walkway and permeable surfaces
Publicly accessible greened walkway and permeable surfaces
https://www.archdaily.com/940892/k-villa-plus-space-plus-architecture
Image
Roofgarden and greened balconies
Roofgarden and greened balconies
https://www.archdaily.com/940892/k-villa-plus-space-plus-architecture
Image
Roofgarden, greened balconies and greened public path
Roofgarden, greened balconies and greened public path
https://inhabitat.com/villa-in-vietnam-prioritizes-natural-light-and-green-space/k-villa37/