This paper aims to explore the current state of the traditional community houses belonging
to the Co-tu ethnic group in central Vietnam. In the past, a community house functioned
as a site for common activities and was a cultural symbol for most Co-tu villages. The
community house was typically constructed by all the villagers, led by elders possessing
traditional expertise and indigenous knowledge. However, the living conditions of ethnic
communities and the customs relating to housing and settlement have undergone changes
in accordance with Vietnamese government policy. In addition, many community houses of
varying styles and construction have been built recently with the assistance of organizations
based within and outside Vietnam. The paper presents a case study of a community house
in Thua Thien Hue province that was built with the support of university researchers.
It illustrates the complexity of the task and the challenges and lessons learned from the
collaborative construction of a traditional community house.