Indesign live feautures Neill Johanson: rebuilding education in Nepal

Follow Davenport Campbell’s Principle, Neill Johanson, on his journey from Everest Base Camp to rebuilding education in Nepal.

Since the Nepal earthquakes of 2015, architect Neill Johanson of Davenport Campbell has been working to rebuild schools and support communities in Nepal’s remote regions. It’s a pro-bono project that has expanded from emergency efforts to a wider and longer-lasting vision.

When architect Neill Johanson headed to Nepal to guide an expedition to Everest Base Camp in 2015, little did he know that it would change the trajectory of both his life and life’s work for years to come. The Nepal earthquakes of 2015 took place as Johanson and the trekking group (for which he was a guide), made their return journey from Everest Base Camp.

The reality of the earthquake was terrifying. “Buildings were falling apart around us, car-size boulders were rolling down the mountains, and giant parts of the track were disappearing before our very eyes,” he recalls.

The country had just eight helicopters to rescue people in distress and Johanson and his group were lucky enough to be airlifted out by a helicopter assigned to rescuing people from various parts of the track.

Deeply affected and inexorably drawn together by the experience, Johanson and his personal and professional network turned quickly to the discussion of how they could help to reconstruct a country that was severely impacted by this natural disaster.

Johanson, who is a principal at Davenport Campbell, fulfilled a natural calling in this cause, putting his expertise and practical skills towards rebuilding education facilities in remote regions of Nepal.