Born in Vietnam in 1976, Võ Trong Nghīa is a graduate of the University of Tokyo (where received the University of Tokyo President’s Award for academic achievement during his doctoral thesis) and of Waseda University (at which he acquired his PhD).

In 2006, he established his own firm, Hanoi-based VTN Architects, which has garnered worldwide acclaim for its merging of traditional Vietnamese construction techniques with contemporary design. Among the hallmarks of Võ’s projects are lushly planted walls, hanging vines, structure-piercing trees, weathered stones and sunken landscapes. Traditional Vietnamese building techniques that he and his firm incorporate into their designs include complex bamboo trusses, perforated blocks, cooling water systems, shaded terraces and thatched roofs.

In 2014, the World Economic Forum selected Võ as a Young Global Leader, and he was named Architect of the Year by Dezeen in 2019, among many other accolades.

A strong proponent of meditation, Võ spent the years 2017 to 2020 meditating intensively at Pa-Auk Forest Monastery in Myanmar, using the knowledge and experience he developed there to contribute to social and environmental wellness. In particular, he believes that meditation can be an effective tool for architects, who have a responsibility in his view to heal a struggling planet.

Võ is a visiting Adjunct Professor at the Daniels Faculty for the Winter 2024 term and gave the Jeffrey Cook Memorial Lecture on HEALING as part of the Faculty's Public Program.