From alternative care in Vietnam to sustainable business innovator
Oyster shells tossed aside on beaches, broken tiles from demolished houses, rice straw and coconut fibre left in the fields – piles of waste that most people ignore – are building blocks waiting to be transformed.
The 32-year-old architect is the founder of VHD Green Design and Build, a company in Da Nang, Vietnam, focused on developing environmentally friendly construction materials.
“When I design and build, I face material prices that fluctuate. I wanted to turn discarded items into new materials. I want to leave something truly useful behind and create thousands of jobs. That is what I am most determined to do in life,” Dũng says.
Born in Quảng Ngãi province, Dũng lost both parents in separate accidents when he was eight years old. Together with his younger brother, he found a new home at SOS Children’s Villages in Da Nang.
The care that shaped his future
“At SOS Children’s Villages, I received a new home. It filled the emptiness I felt. I had a mother, brothers and sisters, and everyone [in the village],” he recalled.
For him, gratitude is the most enduring lesson.
“Because of that love, I was able to grow and mature. Even now, I apply that gratitude to my business. Everything revolves around gratitude. That is what I carry into my company and my work.”
His closest bond was with his SOS Children’s Villages caregiver, Mai, who became a mother to him. “The person who guided me the most, who believed in me, was my mother. She didn’t speak much, but I understood her, and I wanted to be a source of pride for her,” he said.
Mai, who served as a caregiver for 22 years and raised 27 children, reflected:
“I feel so happy because I see that he succeeded. But I also know he worked very hard, putting years of effort into this. The road ahead is still long, but I am proud.”
From architecture to enterprise
Vietnam faces challenges from rising building materials costs and the environmental impacts of quarrying and sand extraction. Dũng believes recycled materials are part of the solution.
After graduating in architecture and working in design and construction, Dũng founded VHD Green Design and Build, which uses waste to create innovative building materials.
Drawing inspiration from Roman building techniques, Dũng experimented with seawater as a bonding agent. He conducted hundreds of tests before finding a formula that worked, inspired by the durability of Roman concrete that has lasted for 2,000 years.
The firm has now been operating for six years and employs 30 people: 10 office staff and 20 factory workers.
One of the company’s most successful innovations is Stone Talk, a cladding material made from limestone powder, clay, and recycled construction waste. The mixture incorporates oyster shells, coral, rice straw and other discarded materials, which bind naturally due to their calcium content. The product is 60% lighter than natural stone and contains no added chemicals. Dũng hopes to expand sales to export markets. He is now researching ways to use sea sand, currently unsuitable for building, to reduce reliance on river sand extraction, a practice that contributes to flooding and erosion.
Building a future with purpose
Asked what helped him persevere through challenges, Dũng returns to the values he learned growing up at SOS Children’s Villages.
“First, you must know what you want. Decide who you want to become. Then work every day to become that person. There will be many challenges, but you must turn difficulties into motivation, not negativity.”
Today, those same values shape both his life and his company. Just as he transforms discarded materials into new building products, Dũng believes difficult experiences can also become the foundation for something with purpose.
“I want to live meaningfully – for myself and for society.”
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