According to the U.S. Department of State – As a demonstration of the enduring commitment to the United States – Vietnam relationship during the 10th anniversary of the Comprehensive Partnership, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper, Vietnam Foreign Mister Bùi Thanh Sơn,  Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People Committee Dương Đức Tuấn, alongside representatives from the U.S. Mission in Vietnam, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), and other U.S. and Vietnamese officials celebrated the groundbreaking of the new U.S. Embassy Hanoi campus on April 15 in the Cau Giay district of Hanoi.

The embassy’s design embraces the modern urban landscape and natural beauty of Hanoi and incorporates the latest in sustainable design features.  Drawing inspiration from the rice paddies that surround the region, a terraced landscape solution has been applied to mitigate rainwater, and all major structures are elevated one meter above the projected flood plain.  Sustainable materials with high recycled content, low embodied carbon, and low levels of volatile organic compounds will be used to ensure a healthy and energy-efficient interior.

Page of Washington, D.C. is the architect, and B.L. Harbert International of Birmingham, Alabama, is the construction contractor.  Nearly $350 million is anticipated to be invested in the local economy throughout the course of the project.

Since the start of the Department’s Capital Security Construction Program in 1999, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) has completed 176 new diplomatic facilities.  OBO currently has more than 50 active projects either in the design phase or under construction worldwide. OBO provides safe, secure, functional, and resilient facilities that represent the U.S. Government to the host nation and that support U.S. diplomats in advancing U.S. foreign policy objectives abroad.