Methodology in Assessing Value of Traditional Houses in the Northwest of Vietnam for Sustainable Development and Conservation

Traditional housing is a place to preserve the culture, identity, and unique characteristics of each nation.Given the rapid economic growth and social transformation occurring in the Northwest, it is imperative that traditional homes belonging to ethnic minorities be preserved and developed.Retaining the architectural, cultural, social, technical, aesthetic, building material, landscape, and ecological qualities of traditional houses is the aim of conservation.To preserve and promote house values during the process of sustainable local development, it is essential that thorough research and evaluation be conducted.This article proposes a method to evaluate the values of traditional houses of the Thai ethnic group, one of the ethnic groups which have a large population in the Northwestern mountainous region of Vietnam.This method is based on a classification system using criteria to evaluate the basic values of traditional housing.Determining the values of each house leads to classifying houses into four different groups according to levels A, B, C, and D. Grouping is very useful for making decisions about managing, preserving, and promoting house values.Vang Pheo village in Muong So commune, Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province was chosen as a test location to apply this method.The method can be applied to Thai villages in Northwest Vietnam.