Regine Swanson and Joyce Zhou, recipients of the 2024 RAMSA Prize, are currently in Vietnam studying neoclassical architecture influenced by French colonial rule. This month, they will visit Ho Chi Minh City and Dalat to explore how traditional Vietnamese design elements were preserved, modified, or integrated into colonial buildings. Their research aims to highlight the blend of French and Vietnamese architectural styles.
Regine and Joyce’s proposal, Echoes of the Past: Vietnamese Architecture Through the Lens of French Colonialism, was selected as one of three finalists by the prize jury—RAMSA Partners Gemma Kim and Michael Jones, and Associate Partner Kurt Glauber. The jury was captivated by the specificity of their proposal, which included carefully researched precedents of civic and religious architecture, as well as architectural details and construction methods. Their focus on identifying and comparing features from different periods promises to reveal insights into the historical influences that have shaped the sense of place in southern Vietnam.
Following the jury selection, Regine and Joyce’s proposal was named the winning entry by RAMSA staff through an office-wide vote. During their summer travel, they will visit various sites, museums, and archives in Vietnam. Later, they will continue their research at RAMSA and present their findings in a fall exhibition and presentation.
Launched in 2016, the RAMSA Prize is a $7,000 grant awarded annually to RAMSA staff to fund a two-week-long travel and research project exploring a location’s sense of place. The prize encourages staff to engage in targeted, in-depth research into a city, town, or place in a way that can meaningfully inform design work. It also supports collaboration with peers and the development of personal architectural interests as an extension of the firm’s research-based design principles. Previous recipients have traveled to Argentina, India, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, and throughout the United States and Caribbean studying a wide range of topics from social housing in Amsterdam to Art Deco architecture in Buenos Aires.
For more information about the RAMSA Prize, visit www.ramsa.com/prize.
