Architecture Design & Project Management Costs in Central Vietnam (Hoi An)

Architecture Design & Project Management fees in Vietnam (Hội An) is a fascinating topic. Some practice guidelines suggest soft, gentle approaches like this:

Meanwhile, some practitioners in the field are firm and definitive like this:

Beyond that, from ToAM’s experience and perspective, whether fees are high or low, quoted or negotiated, ultimately depends on the mutual fit between both parties. In this field, there’s no “expensive” or “cheap” — only what’s reasonable and the passion we bring to each project that determines our working mindset. Here are some stories we’d like to share about how our pricing works:

Case 1 – Ly’s Nest 01 – special rates for our earliest clients: In our startup days, there were projects we took on with virtually no profit margin. Our sole objective was to secure the project management package and provide stable operational support for one year — until the investment showed returns and we could analyze the high/low seasons for this model in Hội An’s apartment market. The result? After 8 years of collaboration, we’ve now supported this client through to Ly’s Nest 04, with design fees that we set and that meet both parties’ expectations.

Case 2 – Daisy Villa & Apartments Hội An – rates for hands-on investors. This was truly an interesting client, because she knew exactly what she wanted, what she needed, and was ready to roll up her sleeves and work alongside the construction teams. For clients like this, we simply can’t say no — either way, the ToAM-Team learns so many valuable things from them, so why refuse? The only keyword for them is humility. Because of this humble approach, when Daisy 2 — the extension of Daisy 2018 — came along, we were directly appointed as the design firm, no marketing needed.

Case 03 – Bến Trễ 3 adjacent units and Quỳnh Apartment – Giang Châu 1, Đà Nẵng – rates for investors without time to manage. This client is ready to pay immediately upon completion and never questions whether it’s expensive or cheap, because they understand the value we bring to their project. Nevertheless, we still work with a win-win spirit and think about the long-term relationship.

Case 04 – Residential projects for foreign investors – David Mai and Noel Tuyền, transparent pricing where, after explaining the value of each service package, clients accept and decide to go with the premium package. Therefore, with the mindset that “how you do one thing is how you do everything,” we accompanied these clients all the way until their projects were completed and put into use.

Case 5 – The most challenging plots of land on earth – Tý Hiền 36m² and 2 projects for Olala Homestay. ToAM-Team has a structural engineer who often laments, “Why do you always bring back these difficult projects? Not a single structural system can be reused at all!” I, the founder of ToAM, simply respond gently: “The land’s character creates the soul of the home, which is also the soul of the homeowner. Among millions of acquaintances, few become close friends — even twins can be born with different complexions.” Design fees for projects like these average between Case 3 and Case 4!

There are many more cases — if you’d like to hear more of our stories, let’s save them for another day soon.

P/s: With the development of AI, we can ask similar questions as a quick quote reference for our two architectural design categories

and for interior design!