5 Minutes with Minh Anh
Minh Anh talks about his experience, challenges and what makes him happy about working with Atlas for almost 20 years.
How long have you been at Atlas?
As of November 2020, yes I’ve been 18 years with Atlas. I joined Atlas in November 2002, starting as an 1 deposit casino canada.com Architect doing 2D documentation drawings before being promoted to a Team Leader role, which was “Project Lead” title at this time. Eventually I was became an Architecture Manager, then Group Manager, currently managing a group of 30-40 staff working within various region including UK, Australia, NZ and UAE.
What were you doing before you discovered Atlas?
I used to work for a few international firms in the local Vietnam market before joining Atlas. They were SPCC (Sino-Pacific Construction Consultancy Co.Ltd) and NQH Architects Ltd, who did a major residential development in District 7, Saigon South, HCMC.
What brings you to Atlas? / How do you know about Atlas?
I had a Structural Engineer colleague who used to work with me at SPCC before she joined Atlas. She is the one to introduce me to the Atlas recruitment team and it didn’t take much time for me to decide to join the Atlas family. This was an opportunity for a young architect (me) to work closely with some of well-known architectural firms in UK on various international projects across the globe. How often people would say “no” to this!
What makes you happy about working at Atlas?
Joining Atlas was a good decision. Staying with Atlas for almost 20 years of my life has been rewarding. I have stuck around that long because Atlas provides an international professional working environment, provides a close “family” atmosphere from the very top management level down to each team member. At Atlas, you receive enough trainings, for both languages and software, and are also provided fair opportunities to develop your own skills and strength through actual project work, with tireless support from the senior management team to help with challenges during your career path within Atlas.
What’s the focus of your role?
As Group Manager, my role is primarily to manage client accounts from UK, New Zealand & Australia, to work closely with client design teams from Planning/ Concept Stage through Design Development to Construction Documentation Stages, to ensure client delivery programme and quality requirements are all met. We see ourselves here in Atlas as an extended delivery team providing support and depth at skills to the client design team. My job is also to manage team communications and client instructions between Atlas and the client team, doing this thoughtfully and effectively.
Can you describe a typical day?
Starting my day by checking my inbox, getting through all email correspondence coming through over a night, prioritizing tasks to ensure I have sufficient time during a day to respond to urgent requests. Talking to my management teams (Architecture Managers and Seniors) to follow & catch up on their project progress, discuss and agree with them a way moving forward to ensure our project delivery is going smoothly & effectively. I also assist the Atlas Proposal Team to review and work up fee proposal for new projects, often communicating with Atlas Business Development Teams to clarify Atlas scope of work and client expectations in order to provide the most appropriate proposals.
Which technology excites you the most?
Having a technical background, I find BIM technology is absolutely a great tool to develop the industry further to a next level. “3D printing” potential is exciting. To “print a house” rather than “build a house”! How cool is that! This technique is definitely the most efficient way to turn a design on paper into reality.
What is the most interesting project that you have been working on so far?
My first documentation project, Bridge Water Place in Leeds, UK, which is a mixed-use residential skyscraper building, having 40,000 sqm (430,000 sqft), 200 flats and 400 car parking spaces. It is the tallest building in Leeds with 32 storeys (112m height), 2 underground floors for car parks, 10 for office spaces and 20 for apartments. Its construction was completed in 2007.
What advice would you pass to someone entering the industry?
Learn tirelessly, work smartly, play faithfully & always stay positive.
One last question, how do you spend your spare time?
Managing my own team at home: Lucas 5 and Ryan 2 year-old.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us Minh Anh!
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At Atlas, we believe in the power of knowledge sharing, innovation, and industry collaboration.
This September, we had the privilege to participate in three major international events: sponsoring and speaking at BILT ANZ 2024 in Melbourne, sponsoring and attending the International Built Environment Week (IBEW) in Singapore, and speaking and attending the BIM Coordinators Summit in Dublin. These experiences not only reinforce our commitment to staying at the forefront of digital technology and innovation in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry but also allowed us to connect with professionals and thought.
Sponsoring and Speaking at BILT ANZ 2024 in Melbourne
BILT ANZ 2024, held in Melbourne, Australia was an incredible opportunity for us to engage with leaders in Building Information Modelling (BIM) and technology across the AEC sectors. As silver lanyard sponsor, we were able to showcase our expertise and solutions in architectural and engineering BIM modelling, documentation support, and project delivery services.
Our Digital Director, David Llorente gave a talk about Atlas’ innovative, flexible and successful approach to developing customised modular Revit add-ins to suit our teams and clients’ projects. The response from the audience was overwhelmingly positive, and we are excited to continue exploring opportunities to collaborate with industry leaders we met at the event.
Sponsoring and Attending IBEW 2024 in Singapore
As the key annual industry forum for the region, IBEW (International Built Environment Week) in Singapore brought together industry professionals from across the world for dialogue, knowledge exchange, debate and business opportunities.
This year’s theme “Solving for Tomorrow, Today” brought focus to accelerating the built environment sector’s transformation through new technologies and building a future-ready built environment sector. Hot topics amongst speakers and participants included decarbonisation, green energy efficiency, AI and robotics. Aligning with Atlas’ core services, including advanced digital support for AEC projects and digital twin solutions, the event highlighted the importance of integrating these innovative technologies to enhance project performance and sustainability.
As Merit Sponsor, we welcomed members of our team to Singapore, including Director of Engineering Dr Kim Khoa, Architectural Director, Matt Parkes from our Vietnam headquarters, and head of our Manila operation, Donato Gallemit.
Upon attending the event, Dr Kim Khoa said, “the event underscored our dedication to supporting our clients in navigating an evolving industry, marked by climate change and shifting socio-economic landscapes, particularly through the use of BIM and digital technologies for the AEC sector.”
Speaking and Attending the BIM Coordinators Summit 2024 in Dublin
We were honoured to be part of the BIM Coordinators Summit in Dublin, where Digital Director, David Llorente talked about the possibilities of automation and how it can drive efficiency on projects. David also joined the Technology Stage to discuss various topics related to the application of technology in BIM projects and its potential evolution in the coming years.
The summit brought together BIM professionals from around the world to discuss effective strategies for BIM management, collaboration, integration, and innovative technology application across project phases. It was an excellent platform to share our experiences and learn from other industry experts.
Looking Forward
These events represent just a few of the ways we are continuously investing in our knowledge, expertise, and relationships within the AEC industry. We are committed to fostering global collaboration, pushing the boundaries of digital technology and innovation, and delivering high-quality services to our clients worldwide.
We want to thank everyone we met at BILT ANZ, IBEW, and the BIM Coordinators Summit, and we look forward to continuing the conversations and collaborations started at these events.
In the unprecedented era of digital transformation, the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is facing a critical challenge - the shortage of skilled labor and significant skills gap, especially in the adoption of advanced software and digital technologies. Since 2008 Atlas has been certified as an Autodesk Authorized Training Center (ATC), and this authorization was just renewed in April 2024, which is a proactive step taken by Atlas to ensure that the skills of our team always meet global standards and the stringent requirements of our clients.
Addressing the Skills Gap
The digital transformation journey of the AEC industry has been marked by the widespread adoption of CAD software, BIM, project management tools, and other innovative technologies. Yet, many professionals in the industry struggle to effectively utilize these digital tools, due to the lack of necessary skills and expertise.
As an Autodesk Authorized Training Center, Atlas bridges this skills gap and empowers our in-house team and our client’s teams with the knowledge and capability needed to maximize efficiency and productivity. Through in-house training programs and specialized certifications, Atlas provides comprehensive guidance on Autodesk software, including AutoCAD, BIM and other essential software.
Trusted Partner
As a long-standing partner of many leading global design consulting firms, Atlas consistently provides clients with experienced teams capable of executing large-scale projects and the necessary skills to ensure a smooth information exchange and collaboration process.
"As an Autodesk Authorized Training Center, Atlas Industries has access to the latest industry updates and information from Autodesk. By continuously improving our skills and equipping our teams with the right tools and knowledge, we are ready to drive innovation and help our clients in achieving their business goals, maximizing their capabilities and their ROI". David Llorente - Atlas’ Digital Director said.
To learn more about our Autodesk Authorized Training Centre please contact: david.llorente@atlasindustries.com
Find us on Autodesk partner finder: https://www.autodesk.com/support/partners/atlas-industries-vietnam-limited/2328
Reflecting on the first quarter of the year, Atlas was delighted to welcome more than 50 last-year students who are from three top-notch universities in Vietnam to visit our office. Besides, the team also had some practical shares through university's workshop. Atlas always look forward to continuing our joint efforts to support the young generation in Vietnam on their career path.
HCMC University of Technology
HCMC University of Architecture
Van Lang University
Atlas team had some practical shares through university's workshop.
Atlas Football Open Cup 2022 - season 1 took place successfully and brought the audience the most hearty football party, along with the spirit of martial arts sports and solidarity between 8 teams from 4 units. Let’s congratulate our champions and give special thanks to the organizers, spectators, cheering team and other supporters who made the Football Open Cup a memorable event.