Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Architect: IF (Integrated Field).
COEF is a masterplan design proposal for a 600-hectare decommissioned rubber plantation in Cuchi, Vietnam. The project aims to transform the under-utilized site into an organic food production farm that provides animal feed, livestock, fruit, and vegetation in a closed-cycle operation. The first phase of the project is an agro-tourism destination that offers visitors a holistic experience of the food cycle. The project emphasizes the relationship between animals and plants, from agricultural requirements to visitor routes and activities. The visitor route is designed to pass through different farming zones, such as the Agro-forestry node, Food cycle node, and Livestock node, which offer visitors empirical knowledge of food production. The project also offers facilities like farm-stay accommodation, farm-to-table restaurants, farmer markets, and co-farming areas. Existing rubber trees are selectively kept as windbreakers for filtering air contamination, and almost 80 percent of them are preserved in the tourist and accommodation area. The Agroforestry node exhibits the ecosystem among fruit trees, scrub, vegetables, and herbs, showing visitors the natural way these plants support each other. The core idea of the organic approach is visualized at the water reservoir area, where planting and livestock meet. The food cycle walkway offers visitors a realization of how food is produced from the water supply as the beginning of life, and how it goes through a loop of organic production. The livestock node shows visitors how water creatures and animals can co-inhabit in the local wisdom way. The project aims to earn trust from consumers by offering an experience of the organic food cycle through a journey in the farm, which will eventually lead to an understanding and trust in the sincerity of the farm.