Hanoi’s Ecopark Daesung International School brought together a global team in the midst of a pandemic to construct a modern educational center inspired by a European modernist tradition that is rooted in the city’s Old Quarter. Throughout 33 months of construction, general contractor Turner coordinated with a Shanghai-based architect, a theater consultant based in Paris and others based in the U.S. and Korea.

Aside from its excellent architecture and technical design elements, the Turner project team says the school’s impact on its community stands out as the defining feature. Situated in the heart of the Ecopark New Town development, the school for some 1,500 students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade offers a student-centered learning environment with a collaborative atmosphere to encourage excellence.

Arranged linearly along the boundary of the site, the school’s striking, folded form creates a grand canopy and terrace while framing the landscape and outdoor activity space to showcase the grounds to the surrounding neighborhood and create a garden-like setting. Its theater is considered the first professional opera house in Hanoi, complete with an orchestra pit.

The Ecopark Daesung International School blends a European modernism with the traditional architecture of Hanoi. Photo courtesy Turner

“Turner has coordinated not only with the design team, but also the client and contractors to develop every design element in accordance with local building codes, as well as balancing expectations of design intent, cost impact and time impact,” the team says.

Building information modeling played a key role in coordinating the design across several continents, with a person assigned to each discipline and models uploaded to apps accessible via smartphone.

A spread-out team wasn’t the project’s only challenge. COVID-19 brought labor shortages and delayed materials deliveries at the peak of construction. Turner says it cleared obstacles using Lean Construction principles, including its Last Planner system to reevaluate and reprioritize tasks.