Hi, my name is Ronald Dang — or Vân Long Đặng in Vietnamese. I’m an emerging architectural designer with a passion for adaptive reuse, ecological design, and creating spaces inspired by the Vietnamese concept of “lai rai” — a way of gathering with friends and family, often over drinks and snacks, without hurry or agenda. I recently earned my B.A. in Environmental Studies and Economics sign from UC Santa Cruz and am exploring how architecture can foster ecological resilience in urban environments.
My design philosophy is rooted in addressing ecological decline and the lack of accessible, meaningful social spaces. My journey in architecture began in the summer of 2021, after returning home to Los Angeles from my first quarter at UC Santa Cruz. Driving down the freeway, I couldn’t stop comparing Los Angeles to Santa Cruz — especially how little nature I saw in my own city. That drive sparked a question that shaped my undergraduate path: “How could LA be more green?”
In chasing that question, I discovered vertical gardens and green roofs. I collaborated with professors and university stakeholders, secured grants and scholarships, and installed a vertical garden to test my “hypothesis” on greening urban spaces. This work led me to the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley for an architecture and urban planning program, where I refined my vision further — to become an architect who reimagines urban spaces through sustainability, culture, and care.