New Ho Chi Minh City practice site joins existing offices in Hanoi and Da Nang
BKV Group, a holistic, multidisciplinary design firm, today announced the opening of its third Vietnam practice site in Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s largest city. This new office represents an expansion for BKV Group in Southeast Asia, where the company has existing studios in Hanoi and Da Nang.
“In just two short but transformative years, we’ve expanded our operations in Vietnam from opening a single office in Hanoi to having a presence in three of the country’s most prominent markets,” said Jack Boarman, senior design leader and managing partner at BKV Group. “Vietnam is a rapidly industrializing country, and by establishing a presence there, we have had an opportunity to contribute to that growth as well as enhance our capabilities both overseas and domestically.”
Led by Thang Nguyen, who serves as general director and senior associate for the Vietnam studios, the firm has designed several prominent developments in the country’s major markets. In Bắc Giang, near the artery that connects the city to Hanoi and Haiphong, the firm is designing a 49-hectacre master plan to create a vibrant urban environment that enhances living areas with ample green spaces connected by a network of pedestrian and bicycle lanes. In Haiphong, Hoang Huy Commerce, a development of five 35-story apartment towers features a design that showcases the firm’s expertise in modular construction and designing a centralized core for equal weight distribution throughout the structures to maximize density.
Other high-profile developments the firm has designed include Danang Riverside, a pair of hotel-condominium towers in Da Nang; Imperia Zen Garden, a 29-story multifamily tower in Bắc Giang; and Imperia Sky Bay, a five-tower condominium, apartment and hospitality development in Bắc Giang.
“BKV Group’s reputation in the United States and globally, and our ability to offer local and international expertise, differentiates us from many other firms working in Ho Chi Minh City,” said Nguyen. “The addition of the Ho Chi Minh City studio brings our number of employees in Vietnam to more than 60, and we anticipate continued growth as the country’s emerging markets persist in attracting interest from developers and companies wanting to establish themselves here.”
The four American practice sites at BKV Group are supported by their Vietnam counterparts, which contribute design services for many U.S. projects. Moreover, the firm is able to provide cross-market training opportunities and structure project teams to take advantage of the 12-hour time difference, creating a nearly 24-hour design studio that can meet accelerated deadlines without sacrificing quality and creativity.
“Our ability to fully integrate our teams means we can offer our clients a follow-the-sun workflow model that the A/E/C industry has only begun to embrace – we function as one ‘office’ with multiple practice sites,” said Jonathan Delcambre, senior design leader and managing partner at BKV Group. “And, because many of our American and Vietnamese employees have spent time studying and working internationally, they bring a global perspective to projects that, ultimately, enhances their design.”
About BKV Group:
For more than 40 years, BKV Group has designed and delivered community-enhancing, award-winning projects across a multitude of sectors including market-rate multifamily, student living, senior housing, affordable housing, government and federal, education and library, corporate and commercial, hospitality and mixed-use. Throughout BKV’s history, the firm has grown from a sole proprietorship into a diverse partnership with practice sites in Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., and multiple cities in Vietnam. The firm’s holistic approach encompasses a variety of services including architecture; interior design; landscape architecture; mechanical, electrical and structural engineering; construction administration; and planning and pre-development. This integrated methodology ensures streamlined communication between disciplines to find the best design solutions under budget and time constraints while removing redundancies in the process and enhancing the design and function of each project. For more information, visit bkvgroup.com.
