Trung Nguyen Kindergarten
MASS is partnering with Trung Nguyen, Vietnam’s largest coffee company, to design a flagship kindergarten in Buon Ma Thuot that nurtures curiosity, play, and climate resilience through early education.
Set in Vietnam’s Central Highlands—where climate change is expected to drastically reduce coffee-growing land by 2025—the school is part of Trung Nguyen’s broader investment in education as a long-term strategy for community and environmental sustainability. By fostering a culture of lifelong learning, the project aims to reduce school dropout rates and equip future generations with the skills to navigate a changing world.
The design process began with extensive engagement with local families, educators, and Trung Nguyen leadership. Together, they envisioned an alternative to Vietnam’s test-focused education model—one that emphasizes creativity, exploration, and student-centered learning over rote memorization.
The resulting design places all classrooms on the ground level in age-based clusters, each with its own dedicated outdoor play area. A central learning playscape anchors the school and encourages active, open-ended play. Upper-level spaces include teacher workrooms, a cafeteria, and art and music classrooms, supporting holistic development for both students and staff.
Upper-level spaces include teacher workrooms, a cafeteria, and art and music classrooms, supporting holistic development for both students and staff.
Designed to serve 450 children, the school is both a pilot for a new pedagogy and a symbol of how education can support rural resilience in the face of climate change.
