It is no secret that the Coronavirus Pandemic created challenges for the way we work; from remote working to new safety protocols, daily life shifted dramatically. Here at Dome, even when things get tough, we always stay true to our core values and make sure we are maintaining and building upon our strong relationships with our clients and partners. And that is exactly what our team did when tasked with completing the new ground-up addition at 999 Anthony street in Berkeley. The team knew the project would come with its hurdles, but by valuing our people, seeking to understand, and doing it right, the team knew that by believing in themselves and the people around them, they would overcome the obstacles, accomplish their goals, and deliver a high-quality project.
The project team consisted of Steve Carvajal, Mykayla McAroy, and Reed Monroe all weighed in on the challenges that had to be overcome and gave us a glimpse of how they were able to work together to deliver a successful project.
Meet the team:
Mykayla McAroy
Project Engineer
Reed Monroe
Superintendent
Steve Carvajal
Project Manager/
Estimator
Kevin Thomas
Estimator
Jerry Chavez
Group Superintendent
When interviewing the team, our first question addressed the team’s challenges while working on the project. There was no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic was the first answer across the board. Mykayla McAroy, Dome Senior Project Engineer, shared what the team did to get everyone through the pandemic’s hurdles. “As a team, we managed by having compassion for what everyone was experiencing. It caught the world by surprise, so implementing new safety procedures in the middle of the construction and applying social distancing protocols was difficult in the beginning but got easier as the project progressed.”
Reed Monroe, Dome’s onsite Superintendent, shared that the Pandemic was not the only challenge they had to overcome. “Mid-construction, the size of the elevator was changed, causing us to figure out a solution. We came up with a plan to break out the work adjacent to the elevator, including the slab, waterproofing, and elevator machine room. We created a fast-track micro schedule that we tracked daily for progress to make sure that it would not affect the critical path of the project.”
Steve Carvajal, Dome’s Estimator, noted that maintaining honest, open communication is paramount for any successful project, especially during the pandemic. “It is essential to have in–person, onsite meetings with the entire team, and our weekly OAC meetings provided this opportunity.” Steve also mentions that developing client relationships is important, but creating a strong relationship with the Trade Partners is equally vital. Steve shares, “Trade relationships are significant; they are the ones that get the work done. The main ingredient to maintaining relationships is mutual respect.” As for Reed, he has learned that maintaining these relationships is extremely important not only with the end-user but also with construction managers, architects, inspectors, and subcontractors. “The relationships we make with our partners is THE most important job for keeping things running smoothly and to continue to get to work with great people.” One trick Reed has picked up is keeping a journal of everyone he has met and repeatedly repeats names out loud when he hears them. “Remembering a person’s name is the first and most important part of building a relationship and showing that you value the person. Secondly, everyone starts at a 10. They do not need to earn my confidence.“ Mykayla echoed the importance of the Trade Partner relationship, “Trade partner/Subcontractor relationships are critical to me. It is important to say THANK YOU to the people who are in the field building.”
A couple of highlights from the project for Reed included a situation that needed all hands on deck. “We had a situation where the underground plumbing was not draining properly. This was found out only 1 day before our scheduled slab on grade pour. Everyone jumped in to help, including the Self Perform Workgroup, our laborers, and the plumbers. Even the City of Berkeley Inspector came by twice (without a scheduled appointment) to help us along.”
For Steve, a highlight was working with Mykayla and recognized her for being a great contributor to this project’s overall success. “She is very organized, and not much slipped by her.”
This was a huge learning experience for Mykayla that she was thankful to take on. Her most memorable moment from the project was “seeing a building get built from the ground-up has been the most rewarding part for me. It may only be a 2-story building, which is considered small to a lot of people, but this was the most challenging project I’ve ever been a part of.”
Even though 999 Anthony Street was a tough project for the team, the obstacles they faced were nothing that they could not handle. By focusing on what they could control and having compassion for everyone involved, the team created a project that the Client was extremely impressed with. This was a great learning experience for everyone involved, and the team showed true grit from start to finish. This project could not have been completed without the team effort from our project team, the trade partners, and the support of Berkeley’s city. Many were willing to help and came together during these unprecedented to finish the outstanding new ground-up addition at 999 Anthony street in Berkeley.
For the project team, construction has always been a passion. Working with people and problem-solving are both what keeps this team motivated and excited about their work.