Adaptive reuse of local buildings in Sapa, Vietnam for cultural tourism development towards sustainability

Abstract Literature shows that adaptive reuse must consider vernacular architecture. For a tourism town like Sapa and its neighbouring villages in Vietnam, which is characterised with diverse terrain and climate conditions, adaptive reuse of housing regarding vernacular architecture needs to be addressed as sustainable local cultural values to attract tourists, especially foreign tourists. This paper, using data collected from 5 neighboring villages of Sapa, has investigated the villages’ residence characteristics, customs, and traditional house building designs styles and types of villages. A triangular approach of historical approach, systematic approach and the interdisciplinary approach has been adopted for the research to discover, consolidate and promote the values of village landscape and traditional housing. The proposed approach ensures villages retain their traditional indigenous state by building the image of traditional buildings encouraging concentrated living, and implementing concentrated tourism by village. Small sized areas can adopt small types of tourist accommodation. Both adaptation to climate and environmental change and adaptation to the deep intervention of technology in life need to be considered. The proposals will not only help protect the special values of Sapa, but also make good use of new development opportunities.