SPARK

Discoveries, innovations, and insights that illuminate the future of the built environment

What Makes McKinstry Different? by Tyler Pritchard

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In just twelve weeks at McKinstry, I have already learned more about HVAC, EPC, and ECM calculations than I could have ever hoped to learn in a classroom. From lessons on open and closed chilled water loops to practice thermal energy storage optimization problems, I have expanded my technical knowledge of the energy performance contracting (EPC) industry in significant ways that will benefit me for years to come. However, the biggest lesson I learned from McKinstry had little do with calculations, floorplans or otherwise. Rather, the biggest lesson I learned from McKinstry is to embrace a mindset obsessed with the pursuit of efficiency.

Ash Awad, McKinstry’s Chief Market Officer, originally inspired my concept of a McKinstry mindset; a mindset focused on the relentless pursuit of efficiency. Mr. Awad explained how McKinstry believes that “50% of the energy in buildings is wasted and 50% of all construction cost are wasted.” From here, Ash explained that manufacturing – guided by a manufacturing mindset – is characterized by highly repeatable, highly efficient, and highly economical product systems. Unfortunately, the construction industry isn’t quite as efficient.

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What the McKinstry B.L.U.E program taught me: Zach Gerhardt

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How would you describe what you’re doing at McKinstry in 50 words or less?

My role at McKinstry as a Project Engineer Intern is to learn as much as I can, as quickly as I can, in order to help the field team, perform their work on time and under budget.

What has McKinstry been successful in with tackling the challenge of COVID-19 from a company and an intern perspective (i.e. measures taken company wide and measures taken within the B.L.U.E. program)

McKinstry has been successful in tackling the challenge of COVID-19 from a company perspective in the way they have provided the option for employees to work from home for as long as necessary until they feel it is safe to return. For people in New Construction, keeping the number of people in the office down to a small amount to allow for proper social distancing has been a change I have witnessed firsthand. We work in the office on a rotation. I was given the opportunity to work Monday through Wednesday in the field office and the rest of the week at home for the duration of the summer. Being able to split up my area of work was something new to me but has readied me for a new normal with the possibilities of working from home becoming more widespread. I believe in the way McKinstry has afforded its employees the option to work from home until they feel safe in an office. It speaks loudly about how much they care for the wellbeing of their employees.

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Intern Q&A: Lexie Bright

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How would you describe what you are doing at McKinstry in 50 words or less?

I interact with, benchmark, and analyze energy data. I’m learning how to upload facility condition assessment files into an Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) data base. I’ve been enjoying learning from and connecting with the Energy and Technical Services team!

What has McKinstry been successful in with tackling the challenge of COVID-19 from a company and an intern perspective (i.e. measures taken company wide and measures taken within the BLUE Program)

McKinstry has done an excellent job connecting us despite the virtual nature of this work. Very helpful resources have been provided left and right throughout the B.L.U.E. program. I enjoyed hearing McKinstry’s higher management make a statement on the Black Lives Matter movement. I also appreciated the weekly intern social events. A huge thanks to Bri Kastning (Employee Development Program Manager) who has remarkably guided this internship! McKinstry provides a special atmosphere that encourages growth and enthusiasm despite the challenges presented by COVID-19; the company has also been very clear on required health precautions when employees partake in non-virtual work. If working for McKinstry has been this great of an experience virtually, I can only imagine the bounty of fun it would be to work with these awesome people in person!

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What it’s like to be a McKinstry Intern in Seattle: Michael Kinahan

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How would you describe what you do at McKinstry in 50 words or less?

“One of the jobs I’ve spent a lot of time on this summer is the New Convention Center in Seattle. It is an enormous project, it’s so big that they had to split up construction into five different zones. What you can see in the picture is just the beginning of zone one!”

I help assist foremen and project managers oversee the instillation of Fire Suppression Systems in mid- to high-rise buildings in the greater Seattle area.

How is the internship different due to the impacts of COVID-19?

The most obvious impact of COVID-19 on my work experience has been the empty office that greets me every morning. The sea of vacant desks leaves me to only be able to speculate as to the energy that once filled the now empty Dawson building. Another obvious impact of COVID-19 has been the lack of in-person interactions I have with my coworkers. There are a handful that I work with every day, that I have never met in person. And the only reference I have as to what they look like is their Microsoft Teams profile picture. While this might have been a steep transition for some of my coworkers, I would venture to guess that the transition was quite seamless for most of my fellow interns, as much of our communication is online already. I also think that it has, in some respects, hindered the amount that I network with my fellow interns and coworkers. While I have had a couple “coffee chats” with a few people in my internship cohort, I have had minimal individual interaction with my peers. However, our internship director, Bri Kastning, has done a phenomenal job setting up as many networking events for our cohort as possible. Unfortunately, there is just no suitable replacement for face-to-face interaction.

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How COVID-19 changed my Internship: Nolan Dahl

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How would you describe what you are doing at McKinstry in 50 words or less?

My time at McKinstry has been spent making sure that new equipment in data centers/zoos is installed properly so that computers/polar bears can live comfortably, and figuring out ways that buildings/parks in downtown Portland could be more energy efficient so that humans can live comfortably.

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Ask an Intern: Tyler Pritchard

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How would you describe what you are doing at McKinstry in 50 words or less?

“Me and fellow intern, Claire McGahern, doing some socially distant Social Quiztancing with the Golden Office”

At McKinstry, I develop energy conservation measure (ECM) calculations to help inform whether specific ECMs are included in larger energy performance contracts (EPCs). To date, I have worked on three ECM calculations: energy savings from heat pump installation, demand savings from thermal energy storage installation, and cost savings from fleet vehicle fuel conversion.

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Zach Gerhardt: Getting to know me & my journey to McKinstry’s B.L.U.E. Program

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Hello! My name is Zach Gerhardt and I’m a New Construction Project Engineer Intern with McKinstry for the summer of 2020. Over the last few weeks, I have begun to get a feel for McKinstry’s culture. In a time as uncertain as we are living in right now, strong leadership is as important as ever. By listening to company executives, getting to know my project team, and virtually socializing with other interns, I have been able to experience this leadership firsthand. In a time like this, being able to count on your friends, family, and coworkers to be there for you is paramount.

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Nolan Dahl: Getting to know me & my journey to McKinstry’s B.L.U.E. Program

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If things had gone just slightly different in my life, this post would be read on a physical therapy website instead of McKinstry’s blog.

I was born in San Carlos, CA, and was raised in Redmond, WA. I grew up playing soccer and basketball, and eventually got into lacrosse when I saw people whacking each other with sticks at a park, and my 13-year-old brain thought that that would be fun. As my bones grew and my joints became messed up, I started to rack up the injuries. I was in and out of physical therapy so much I was on a first name basis with most of the physical therapists in my area. It was not a surprise that as I went into high school, I set a course to get myself into a college where I could major in kinesiology. However, while all of this was going on, I had been feeling ill, ever since the start of 7th grade. Eventually, in 11th grade, I figured enough was enough, and took time away from school to seek medical help to figure out what was going on. During this break from school, my values started to shift. I started to think more about how I could help others rather than just myself. Instead of just working with a few specific patients, I wanted to help the largest number of people I possibly could. After doing research, and talking with engineers, I decided I could help a lot of people by contributing to the renewable energies field. I chose mechanical and manufacturing engineering as a major because it matched my goals and skill set to a tee, and I chose to attend Oregon State because it was the perfect location. Not too far from my family and home, but also not too close.

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Michael Kinahan: Getting to know me & my journey to McKinstry’s B.L.U.E. Program

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Hello fellow interns, McKinstry employees, and random people who stumbled along this blog by chance!

My name is Michael Kinahan, and I am a first-year intern in the Major’s Fire Protection Department. This fall, I will be a Junior at Washington State University entering my first year in the Construction Management Program. My goal in writing for the Blue Blog this summer is to give past, present, and future interns a glance into my internship at McKinstry during these chaotic and unprecedented times.

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Lexie Bright: Getting to know me & my journey to McKinstry’s B.L.U.E. Program

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Hello, my name is Lexie Bright, I’m a 23-year-old recent graduate from Western Washington University. I majored in Energy Policy and Management with a minor in Economics. I’m currently a Technical Services Intern with the Energy Management and Technical Services team at McKinstry based in Seattle, WA.

I was raised in the beautiful foothills of Issaquah, WA. Growing up, I had no awareness of conservation, where my water came from, what electricity was or why it mattered to know. As I became more educated about Climate Change and the reality of how our modern lives are made possible through exploiting the Earth, I couldn’t believe it. I began focusing on how I could educate and influence as many people as possible about environmental realities, hoping to inform and even convert them into environmental activists.

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