Naturally, tourist areas need to pay special attention to landscape design to attract visitors and create a competitive advantage. Flamingo Dai Lai Resort, with its "harmonious with nature" landscape design philosophy, not only won the Gold Award at the 2022-2023 National Architecture Awards but, more importantly, has impressed tourists as a green, eco-friendly tourist destination.
Landscape architecture is the study and design of open spaces of various scales, such as parks, school grounds, streetscapes, squares, residential areas, and resorts. Through research into artistic, environmental, architectural, technical, and sociological factors, landscape architects develop plans for the arrangement of materials, objects, and forms to create harmony and aesthetic appeal for the entire project, while simultaneously balancing and nurturing the natural environment.
The landscape design for the Flamingo Dai Lai Eco-Resort was carried out over 15 years (2007-2022), divided into several phases. The landscape design and construction covers an area of 70.4 hectares out of a total area of 103.94 hectares in Ngoc Thanh commune, Phuc Yen city, Vinh Phuc province. The design was created by a team of architects including Nguyen Thuong Quan, Bui Thi Bich Dao, Le Van Hoang, Nguyen Thi Phuong Yen, and their associates at FARC Architecture Joint Stock Company.
 |
| A view of Flamingo Dai Lai Eco-Resort. Photo provided by the Vietnam Association of Architects. |
Inheriting the scenic beauty of Dai Lai Lake and the backdrop of the Tam Dao mountain range, the design team chose a "naturalistic" approach – man-made structures mimicking nature – to create a resort space that is friendly to a rich ecosystem and a model of green architecture. The main elements of the resort's landscape design are greenery, water features, transportation routes, and functional areas (accommodation, sports facilities, playgrounds, camping areas, vegetable gardens, etc.), all harmoniously blended using landscape design techniques such as: expansive landscapes oriented towards nature, and the use of borrowed and connected landscapes. Landscape technologies such as the use of native and imported species, maintenance and care technologies combining different plant types, and environmentally friendly irrigation and lighting energy sources have been carefully studied.
The tourist area's landscape is enhanced by the addition of artificial hills to diversify the scenery and increase the green surface area. These hills also serve to separate spaces, change viewpoints, and create different emotional experiences. Water features are also incorporated by digging artificial lakes and streams, and channeling water from Dai Lai Lake deep into the land to increase the water surface perimeter and improve access to water for resort facilities, combined with greenery to regulate the microclimate of the area.
The route is not just a transportation artery, but also a place for people to experience a range of emotions. The design of the routes weaves through the natural environment, minimizing impact on the natural landscape through various route types: motorized roads with and without sidewalks, lakeside walking paths or poetic paths, paths through pine forests filled with the fragrance of plants, flowers, and the early morning dew... There seems to be no boundary between humans and nature. In particular, the walking paths are designed according to specific themes, planted with characteristic trees such as acacia, pine, and flowering shrubs year-round. Different materials such as exposed concrete, stepping stone paths, wooden paths, and compacted earth paths in the pine forest are chosen according to each theme to create diversity and offer many experiences, while also bringing a local flavor to the design.
The functional areas are flexibly distributed along the landscape axis. The Flamingo Gate and stage are designed with many symbolic and stylized elements, creating a spatial transformation that impresses visitors from their first steps into the resort. The four-season flower garden, with its expansive views, is where hundreds of flowers bloom. Applying the "wide landscape" technique, the four-season flower garden spaces offer wide-open views, interwoven between the villas according to the land use plan. Plants are planted in large patches, lines, and fields, and the types of flowers are changed seasonally, creating different emotional experiences at each time of year when the flowers bloom.
Along the scenic route, campsites, children's playgrounds, and art spaces are interspersed. Giant artworks placed on expansive lawns will make visitors feel as if they are in an exhibition space amidst nature. These are also visual highlights that the architects intentionally incorporated into the design.
It's safe to say that few tourist resorts take 15 years to develop and create their landscapes. However, thanks to the persistent pursuit of a "green philosophy," it has been providing a blissful resort experience amidst nature. The resort's landscape design has met the investor's goal of sustainable tourism development. That's why Flamingo Dai Lai Eco-Resort has been a prominent tourist destination in Vinh Phuc for many years.
Architect NGUYEN HUYEN TRANG
Source
![[Photo] "Hanoi Lotus Festival" honors the lotus flower that has been associated with Vietnam for thousands of years.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/06/27/1782516943048_sen-ha-noi-2026-minh-duy-1-jpg.webp)
