TEAM

HA NGYUEN (Architect MAS ETHZ)
Partner

Nguyễn Hà practiced in Arb Palisades Hanoi while being a student in architecture. She was granted a full scholarship for Master Degree in Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland (ETHZ). She worked at Arb Bern after graduation gaining valuable international work experienced by taking part in various projects in Morroco, France and Switzerland. In 2010, back in Vietnam, Nguyền Hà Co - founded arb Vietnam architects with Kurt Aellen ( former president of SIA) and Laurent Cantalou. Nguyễn Hà is also well-known as an artist of lighting installation.

HOJUNG KIM (M.Arch Yale University, B. Arch Cal Poly San Luis Obispo)
Partner

An Assistant Professor in the School of Interior Architecture at the University of Tennessee and co-founder of the MM Research Lab. His research explores the cultural, economic, and ecological dimensions of material practices through a transdisciplinary lens, focusing on the impact of centralized manufacturing’s homogenizing forces on marginalized communities, environments, and contemporary society.

THU TRANG NGUYEN
Partner-Strategy Consultant & Sustainable Business Model Specialist

With over 20 years of experience in brand strategy and creative business modeling, Thu Trang Nguyen began her consulting career in early 2000s Vietnam and now leads strategic ecosystem projects that integrate cultural preservation and sustainable development. Thu Trang consistently seeks out projects with lasting vitality—where brands are not just on the surface, but the crystallization of cultural identity, community values, and ecological context.

LAURENT CANTALOU (Architect EPFL SIA)
Partner

Graduating from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne and Zurich, Switzerland, he joined arb Bern. In arb he lead many projects from the concept to the construction, some of which won awards and were published by many academy publishers for use in universities. In 1998 He Founded arb morocco, Casablanca together with Kurt Aellen and Mountassir Ilyassa. In 2010 he was co-founding arb east architects with Kurt Aellen and Nguyen Ha.

NHUT NGUYEN (ARB/RIBA Part 2, Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL)
Director of Research

An architect, co‑founder of Gian Giữa, and a lecturer at Hanoi University of Architecture. He spent seven years in New Zealand before returning to Vietnam to work at VTN Architects and gmp Architekten; he is now with MM Lab. His practice is oriented towards the tantalising: beauty that remains never wholly within reach.

DUY THAI
intern

is a final-year student studying Interior Design at Hanoi University of Arts and Design. As a Research Assistant at MM Lab, he conducts extensive material experiments to uncover applications in spatial design that convey local narratives and create engaging, culturally resonant experiences.

VU TUAN ANH
Research Assistant

is a last year student studying architecture at the Hanoi Architectural University. As a Research Assistant and Junior Architect at MM Lab, she is interested in material sensory properties and explores its application in built environments to support well‑being and cognition.

ELI OLIVER
Research Assistant, Website Designer

A fifth-year student at the University of Tennessee Knoxville pursuing a bachelors degree in Architecture. He has a passion for physical fabrication regularly exploring how narrative can influence and affect the agency of the architect. He is dedicated to creating high quality work through precision and attention to detail that explores how design affects us and can effect change in the world.

KAI CAMACHO
Research Assistant

A fifth year student studying architecture at the University of Tennessee College of Architecture + Design. As a Research Assistant and Junior Architect at MM Lab, he is interested in the innovation of sustainable materials within the broad cultural and historical context of Vietnam.

ADDIE CATE
Research Assistant

A fourth year student studying interior architecture at the University of Tennessee’s College of Architecture + Design. As a Research Assistant, she is interested in learning about innovative applications of sustainable materials and the evolving role of interior architecture in adaptive reuse projects.

WRITINGS

INDEX