Resilient Urban Centres and Surrounds (RUCaS)
Hanoi University of Civil Engineering
Hanoi, Viet Nam
NbS in Vietnam
ICEM team meeting with HUCE academic team
HUCE disused building - site for NbS development
The vision for this case study was to demonstrate how NbS can retrofit existing campus buildings to improve thermal comfort, manage stormwater and enhance accessibility in dense urban settings.
The Hanoi University of Civil Engineering (HUCE) campus in Hanoi is typical of many inner-city Vietnamese neighbourhoods: clusters of 5–6 storey buildings with limited green space, hard paved surfaces, poor drainage and buildings that pre-date modern accessibility and energy-efficiency standards.
These conditions contribute to urban heat, ponding during heavy rainfall and uncomfortable learning environments, where classrooms housing 50–150 students can reach very high temperatures and rely largely on fans for cooling.
What the case study explored
RUCaS worked with HUCE to explore how green walls, planting boxes, rainwater harvesting, porous pavements and accessibility upgrades can be applied to a representative teaching block. The study focused on the H1 building and its surrounds, investigating how building-scale NbS can reduce heat gain, improve stormwater management, enhance microclimates and create more inclusive, comfortable spaces for students and staff.
This work complemented HUCE’s broader engagement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Secondary Green Cities Program, positioning the campus as a testbed for green infrastructure solutions that can be replicated in other Vietnamese cities.
What happened next
Building-scale monitoring of NbS performance
To provide robust evidence, RUCaS installed 6 environmental monitoring sensors around the campus, including in the renovated C4 building. These sensors track temperature, humidity and air quality in NbS zones – where a green wall and porous pavement are being introduced – and in adjacent conventional paved areas. The monitoring allows HUCE to quantify changes in heat and air quality once the NbS interventions are in place and compare performance across different surfaces.
Technical paper on green walls
Data from this monitoring network formed part of a technical paper on green walls and NbS in urban settings across Southeast Asia, with a deep dive into Vietnamese and Hanoi policy. The HUCE C4 building was presented as a case study, presenting the initial results from the early phases of monitoring data. The green wall demonstration, implemented under HUCE’s collaboration with the ADB Smart Cities program, aims to show how simple façade interventions can mitigate heat gain and improve air quality on dense campuses.
Regional training on NbS and environmental monitoring
RUCaS and CTU jointly delivered training on installing, operating and maintaining low-cost sensors, bringing together representatives from HUCE and organisations from Lao PDR and Cambodia. HUCE also hosted a multi-day training program on NbS and water sensitive urban design for cities, where RUCaS contributed sessions on inclusive design and scaling NbS.
What does a Water Sensitive City look like?
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