Design Team Underway

NPF is very proud to announce the volunteer services provided by Mr Andrew Cowell from Arup and Mr Nguyen The Phuong from Finko-IDA. Together they will assist with the structural and architectural designs for our projects in 2014.

During the months following the official launch, Nam Phuong Foundation (NPF) staff worked tirelessly to develop our bridge building process. As the organization is committed to being involved in every aspect of our projects, it was necessary to bring in expert advice from industry professionals. Several organizations were approached to ensure donations received would be allocated and used appropriately as per set budget. NPF were very fortunate to have Mr Andrew Cowell from Arup and Mr. Nguyen The Phuong from Finko-IDA volunteer their services and expertise to the cause.

Mr Nguyen The Phuong is the Founder and CEO of Finko International Design Alliance and received his architecture qualifications in Germany. As a resident of Vietnam he is very proud to have the opportunity to help his fellow countrypersons and has offered his services for NPF’s 2014 projects. He has been heavily involved in all correspondence with the Peoples Committee of Cai Be as well as technical discussions with potential construction companies.

Mr Andrew Cowell, an Associate Engineer with Arup, along with his manager Mr Jackie Yau, have also offered to assist with NPF’s 2014 projects. Arup have been operating in Vietnam since 2008 and have a vast knowledge of global standards and local codes and regulations. Andrew has been a key person in the development of our build process and has connected NPF to many local and international companies within the industry.

Together they will produce the structural and architectural designs for NPF’s projects this year. The core focus will be on producing bridges of high quality standards and durability. They will also be looking at ways to fine-tune and customize designs that will benefit each bridge and the community in which they are placed. NPF is looking forward to sharing these plans with you in later editions of the newsletter.

Both Andrew and Phuong joined the NPF team during the latest site visit to Cai Be on the 17th May. They had a chance to meet with the Peoples Committee of Cai Be and some local construction companies, as well as completing evaluations of each bridge site. Since then, plans for our first project ‘Mot Thuoc Bridge’ have been finalized and are currently in the final stages before construction. The schedule for construction of Mot Thuoc Bridge will be released in the next E-Newsletter issue.