Deutsches Haus Ho Chi Minh City

Setting new standards for offices in Vietnam

A pioneering, sustainable office development facilitating a closer relationship between Germany and Vietnam.

Scroll down
Close

Deutsches Haus Ho Chi Minh City Project summary

Client

Deutsches Haus Ho Chi Minh Stadt Ltd

Key partners

Gerkan, Marg und Partner, WSP

Value

£80.5m

Services provided

Construction management, Project and programme management

Sectors

Offices, Mixed-use development

Locations

Vietnam, Asia Pacific

Project timeline

Start date
December 2013
Status
Complete
Close

Project story

Vietnam and Germany established a strategic partnership in 2011 to enhance the political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries. Deutsches Haus, a premium-grade office building in Ho Chi Minh City, provides a focal point for German business and technology, and facilitates a closer relationship between the two countries.

Having successfully project managed the high-specification embassy and consulate projects for the German government, as well as having a professional and highly motivated team on the ground in Vietnam, we were appointed by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deliver the 25-storey building, starting with preconstruction in 2014.


Mace led the way for building responsibly on this project. During construction we dramatically improved working practices through our focus on health and safety, instilling in our supply chain and local contractors' new approaches and standards. Our expertise in sustainability led to Deutsches Haus being awarded Vietnam's first ‘Platinum’ LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification - a global standard for low-energy and carbon-efficient projects.


Completing the overall structure in 2017 the Mace team went on to carry out the specialist fit out. With a focus on security, fit out features included bullet and grenade proof glass panels, high security ductwork, markedly increased acoustic protection, and partition walls constructed to resistance class 3 security specification.

 

This smart, secure and stylish property is now one of the most sought out addresses in Vietnam, with our local team in Mace swooping on the opportunity to make it their new home after completion.

Deutsches Haus Building Reception - Mace Group

project stats

52k sqm of commercial office space
60k + cubic metres of soil excavated and disposed of sustainably

points of note

The concept

Commissioned by the German Consulate, which owns the site, the 25-storey building houses organisations that include Germany's Consulate General and Chamber of Commerce, cross-cultural mediators and German businesses based in Ho Chi Minh City. It also contains retail and hospitality spaces.

Award-winning

Along with its LEED platinum certification the building has won numerous other accolades including the 2017 MIPIM Asia Awards, ‘Best Office and Business Development’ – silver winner and the ‘Best Green Development of south-east Asia’ at the South-East Asia Property Awards 2016.

Setting higher standards

To ensure health and safety was kept front of mind, weekly meetings and daily activity briefings were held, as well as adopting a league system to reward good health and safety behaviour. To improve the safety of working near risers we introduced techniques that, while standard in the UK, are still considered innovative in Vietnam.

Material solutions

Our use of sustainable construction materials for the development has sent a new benchmark in Vietnam. We ensured the materials supported the LEED certification by sourcing materials with permissible levels of organic chemicals to reduce the impact on the environment and human health – a particularly challenging and unusual approach in this region.

Reducing energy use

With air conditioning a necessity in the hot, humid climate, it was vital for energy efficiency to be at the heart of the building’s design, construction and operation. To reduce energy consumption we proposed two approaches: replacing clay-fired brick with concrete, which provides better insulation for the building; and double-skinned unitised panels for the facade – a first in Vietnam and south-east Asia.

“The completion of the German Consulate marks the end of our work on the Deutsches Haus, a scheme we have been involved in since 2014 across both Vietnam and Germany. I’m proud of this project – and particularly the final element – as it will leave a legacy for the relationship between the Vietnam and German governments.”