Initiated by the community of D14 KTT Phuong Mai, this project transformed a neglected courtyard space into a library and playground. KTTs—collective housing blocks built in the socialist era—are architectural and cultural legacies in Hanoi, housing thousands of families across generations. These courtyards serve as potential solutions for today’s urban challenges: they improve climate resilience, offer human-scaled public space, and strengthen intergenerational connections.

Our initiative proposes a mobile, adaptable, and low-cost structure to (re)activate these courtyards. It will serve as a participatory library, meeting place, children’s zone, and weekend market platform. Designed to be flexible and co-created with communities, the module offers a space for learning, well-being, storytelling, gardening, and civic engagement. On weekends, the furniture transforms into Slow Food-inspired stalls, promoting sustainable food systems and neighborhood economies.

The program aims to create a replicable urban model rooted in Vietnamese collective life—revitalizing courtyards across the city. It offers a flexible toolset that honors heritage while addressing modern needs: health, culture, care, and resilience.

Local Courtyard Impact:

A lightweight, modular, and climate-sensitive structure fosters activities related to culture, health, and education.


Encourages community-led workshops, intergenerational reading circles, and informal learning.


Creates a neighborhood town hall model for civic dialogue and collaboration.


Integrates small collective herb gardens, nurturing food literacy and stewardship.


Supports a weekly market for local producers, connecting neighbors through food and conversation.


Low-cost and co-designed, the structure promotes community ownership, strengthening social ties and daily engagement.


City-Wide Impact:

Participatory Library as Cultural Infrastructure: Encourages intergenerational exchange, with an emphasis on shared knowledge and gift economies.


Local Market as Economic Catalyst: Promotes sustainable food practices, supports neighborhood producers, and creates public conviviality.


Replicable and Mobile Design: The structure can adapt to diverse courtyard types and community needs across Hanoi.


Urban Resilience: These spaces respond to increasing climate stress, social fragmentation, and the need for inclusive, human-scaled public infrastructure.


Civic Empowerment: The program empowers communities to reclaim their environment, fostering care, dialogue, and shared agency.

Kecho Collective – Led by Tuan Manh Nguyen, architect and founder of Kecho, specializes in ecological and community-based design. (Design team: Camille Krebs, Baptiste Fonteveille, Mathilde Louis)


Slow Food Community in Hanoi – Led by Ms. Bich Thi Ngoc Pham, Founder and Food Activist brings expertise in community led initiatives on open green public spaces and community engagement, food systems, food security, food justice and literature and organizing community weekend carnivals events.


HealthBridge Canada – Mr. Hai Dinh Dang, Senior Public Space Specialist and Ms. Ha,  Tran, Project Manager, Liveable Cities Programme with deep engagement in cities urban health,  public spaces and sustainable transportation.


Raise Global Health – Ms. Putri Widisaraswati, Co-Founder - Director who focuses on gender-inclusive health education and community empowerment.


MentalHealthPH – Yves Miel Zuñiga, Co-Founder contributes frameworks on mental well-being, community resilience, and youth engagement.