Cornell Interns Invade Bangladesh

It is summer again and I have a fabulous new crop of interns helping me with my project: two architects, two engineers, and two hotel students. I will let them introduce themselves in their own words…

Caio Barboza

Caio

My passion for architecture, my desire to become an architect, and the discipline these require have been influenced by my earlier passion - Taekwondo.  For a decade, from the time I was 7 until I reached the age of 17, my life was focused on the Korean martial art of Taekwondo.  At the age of 17, as is the custom in Brazil, I had to make the difficult decision of choosing a profession.  During my last year in high school my years of dedication to Taekwondo were recognized as I was selected to train on the Brazilian national Olympic team for competition in the 2008 Olympics.  While the opportunity to represent Brazil at the Olympics was the culmination of many years of intense mental, emotional and physical training, I came to realize that the very elements of Taekwondo which made me passionate from an early age - form, movement, technique, space - wanted to find expression in ways that Taekwondo could not satisfy in the longer term.   After much thought, I decided on a professional career and opted to use form, movement, technique, and space to create something outside my own body - structures.

I am currently a sophomore architecture student at Cornell University, and was impressed to hear about Panigram Resort’s program after hearing previous interns’ stories of their experiences in Bangladesh. I became interested in Panigram Resort’s program for its ability to impact communities and develop their environment through sustainability and architecture.  I believe that working in Bangladesh has provided me with very helpful insight into how different cultures develop sustainable building techniques and how they implicate in their living style.  Furthermore, I believe Panigram Resort and Bangladesh talk much about contrasts and differences. Much of what I have been learning is about how architecture can be used to create communities and to inspire the people within them, or produce the very opposite results.  Working with Panigram Resort and Bangladesh has served as a stepping stone in comprehending the very same principles of relationships between architecture, history, lifestyle, and culture, clearly embedded in the Bangladeshi culture.

Onek donnabad.

Viet Hoang Nguyen

Viet

I am Viet from Vietnam. I love doing math and physic because they keep me away from playing Fifa (computer football). I love playing football because it keeps me away from doing math all day. And I love studying architecture because it keeps me away from playing football in the snow in Ithaca.
I went to high school in Vietnam, studied A-levels in England and read architecture at Cornell. Why these particular places? Bon, these are the best places for doing math, practicing football, and making architecture. Fifa, you can play anywhere.

I decided to get involved in the Panigram resort project because I love water, I love the village, and my boss is so cool. Why wouldn’t you want to work with bamboo and mud, talk to a guy who knows everything about trees, and eat mangoes all the time? Why wouldn’t you want to get away from hectic London and work in the countryside, right?

Trang Pham

Trang

I was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. My family moved to California, USA when I was 13 years-old. I have a younger brother who will be going to college next year. My parents are both civil engineers and they definitely had a significant impact on my career decision. I am a third year student at Cornell University studying Civil Engineering with a focus on civil infrastructure. I was always interested in sustainable design and green building. At Cornell, I have been taking part in AguaClara, a project team that aims to provide clean water for communities in Honduras using gravity-power water treatment plant. I was also a member of the Solar Decathlon team which was competing for the most sustainable design for a single-family house.

When I was informed about Panigram Resort through an email I received from my department, I immediately got interested and wanted to get involved. The Panigram project has many positive impacts; not only does it preserve the environment surrounding the project, but it also incorporates nature into its design. It’s fascinating how the whole resort will be built using materials that one can find around the village like bamboo, mud, palm leaves, etc… As a civil engineering student, I hope to learn more about how to use traditional building materials to produce modern quality structures. I have only worked with the villagers for two days, but I have been amazed at how efficiently they can get things done. I am excited to learn cool new tricks from these friendly people. My adventure over the next two months here in Bangladesh will definitely be one the best experiences of my life.

David Hoffer

David

I graduated from Cornell in May with a master’s degree in engineering management, a degree that combined studies in real estate, urban planning, civil engineering, and business. While enrolled at Cornell I was engaged in the design and construction of a solar house, worked with Cornell to reduce carbon emissions through smarter campus planning and building use, interned with Cornell Planning Design and Construction’s project management office, and earned my accreditation as LEED a professional.

Eventually, I would like to develop sustainable hospitality projects, which makes Panigram a perfect place to start my career. I can contribute to the construction of the resort with my background as an engineer, and gain exposure to the business side of hospitality development. I was also drawn to the project because of the hands on nature of the work, and the physical beauty of the environment we’re working in. I was a boy scout growing up and am the kind of guy who likes to be out in nature. With Panigram, I’m not stuck in a cubicle and I have the chance to explore a country that is unlike any place I’ve ever been before.

Katrina Lee

Katrina

I was born within a Chinese-American family in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey (I’m a suburban girl with urban roots). I am currently a rising senior at Cornell University’s Hotel School. Among my leadership experience, I am currently the president of Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, Cornell Collegiate Chapter and Director of Student Affairs for Cornell Hotel Society. I have also worked in the hospitality industry for the past six years with brands such as W Hotels, Sheraton, Hyatt, and Tribe Hotels. Fortunately, my internships have provided me with the opportunity to experience different cultures and interact with them in various ways. I have worked in New York, New Orleans, Kenya, and now Bangladesh. My background is mostly in room operations and human resources.

I decided to intern with Panigram Resort in Bangladesh because of my interest in sustainable hotel development and international hospitality. While my previous summers have provided with me many corporate positions, I decided that my last summer as a Hotel School student should be adventurous and life-learning.  Within a few short days, Panigram Resort and Bangladesh prove to be just that, an adventure. I love traveling, learning about different cultures, and meeting new friends. For all these reasons and more, I knew Panigram Resort ‘s internship was right for me.

Timothy Chen

Tim

I am a rising sophomore at Cornell; my major is hotel administration.  I was born and raised in the San Jose Bay Area of California with my three siblings.  Back home, I attended Homestead High School and played volleyball for the school team and for a private organization.  One of my other passions during high school was sustainability—specifically, how business could and should integrate it.  I assisted the research and development team in my environmental science course with an initiative called “Eco-eateries,” which aimed to measure and improve the level of sustainability in local foodservice operations.

I am currently involved in Cornell Hospitality Consultants, Hotel Ezra Cornell, the Rawlings Research Program, and Cornell University Emergency Medical Service.  I decided to attend the Hotel School for two major reasons: I have always been interested in running a business and I have a passion for sustainability.  I came to the Hotel School wanting to focus on sustainable hospitality and was lucky enough to meet Kristin Boekhoff at the 85th Hotel Ezra Cornell.  Kristin’s innovative vision for Panigram Resort—along with her commitment to make it a socially and environmentally responsible company—immediately sparked my interest.  I am now blessed with the opportunity to work with Kristin and five other talented interns in Bangladesh.