News + Ideas

The Impact Blog is a spotlight series that highlights and celebrates the diverse employees that make MGAC tick. Beyond their day-to-day schedules, we want to know how they have a greater impact on their colleagues, their company, and the communities in which they live and work. We want to know what makes them get out of bed in the morning, what led them to their current role, and what they hope their lasting impact will be.

Today, we get to know Matt Stewart, Senior Cost Consultant at MGAC.

MGAC: Hello and welcome to the Impact Blog, Matt!

Matt Stewart (MS): Thanks!

MGAC: What is your role here at MGAC?

MS: I’m a Senior Cost Consultant on the cost and risk team. I’m in the Toronto office, but the team is spread out across the UK, the U.S., and Canada. I focus on the mechanical, electric, and plumbing side, preparing budgets/change order reviews for construction projects.

MGAC: What brought you to MGAC?

MS: Do you want the long answer?

MGAC: Sure!

MS: I started out in the construction industry around age 17 as a laborer and then moved on to a plumbing apprenticeship. I became licensed and worked as a plumber for about 10 years before deciding I wanted to pursue managing the project side of things. I went back to school, and while there, a friend who was doing cost consulting asked if I’d considered that route. A couple of months later, that’s what I was doing. I worked for a couple of different firms, one of which had some people come over to MGAC’s Toronto office. That’s how I learned about the firm!

MGAC: Having gotten your start in the construction industry, what do you think younger you would think about your role today?

MS: I always saw myself in construction, and my dad always supported the trade route, so I think my younger self would think it was cool that I continued to stay in the construction industry and moved my way up!

MGAC: That’s great. What’s keeping you busy at work at the moment?

MS: As a cost consultant, I always have quite a few projects going on at once, and, with focusing on MEP work, I have five or six deadlines in any given week! Currently, I have a project in Baltimore for Johns Hopkins University, where we are doing MEP change order reviews. I have another at the Pasadena Central Library in California, where we are preparing the budget for a renovation project. There’s another renovation project with the Crummell Community Center in Washington, where I am doing the MEP. Lastly, I’m doing the MEP budget for a research center at the University of San Francisco.

MGAC: Lots of deadlines indeed!

MS: Yes, it keeps things interesting! Every project is a little different when it comes to MEP schemes—sometimes it’s a VRF system, sometimes you’ll need a full central utility plant with chillers and boilers. Every project and every day is different, which I really enjoy.

MGAC: Taking on new types of projects can be challenging on the cost front. How do you approach that?  

MS: Well, we have great benchmarks at MGAC. At this point, every new project has some benchmarks that will help give us a good picture of what we’re looking at, even as we see trends on this front evolve—for instance, as buildings become greener through LEED initiatives, we are seeing more photovoltaics or geothermal systems. Pricing these systems initially can be a challenge, but we have lots of forward-thinking clients who’ve been in this space for a while and we have great vendor relationships we can tap as well.

MGAC: Do you find yourself benefiting from the time you spent as a plumber while approaching MEP work?

MS: Absolutely—especially with the change order part. Mechanical and electrical trades can certainly sometimes exaggerate how long it should take to do something. When it comes to plumbing and HVAC, I can visualize the work there. I’ve installed a toilet. I’ve put up pipe work. I’ve installed ductwork. It’s tough to pull the wool over my eyes when negotiating final costs.

MGAC: That must be a great asset to the team.

MS: I think so! When I think about the impact I hope to make, it’s always being a good team member and teaching people things when I can. We’re certainly spread out, but Microsoft Teams really helps keep us connected, and the size of our cost team enables everyone to have a real impact. I’ve been at massive companies where you’re just a number, but at MGAC, even with team members all over, it’s easy to feel connected to everyone.

MGAC: Speaking of geographic spread, with your projects being all over, do you often visit the project sites?

MS: It depends on the project, but occasionally, yes. Usually, it’s the larger projects that I visit in person. Recently, that’s been Johns Hopkins and UCSF. With my trade background, I always enjoy seeing the work in action. I may not be cranking wrenches anymore, but I really enjoy being there in person on the jobsite and seeing the progress made. Still, I do enjoy the hybrid work environment many of us are in now. I never thought I’d enjoy having some work-from-home days, but I really do. I’ve surprised myself in that way!

MGAC: What do you find most rewarding about your job?

MS: I just like knowing that, for the most part, we’re at the ground floor from the budgeting side of things. We are there before there are drawings, before there is a shovel in the ground. Our advice and feedback ultimately leads to the project moving forward. That means buildings that people are going to use and lots of jobs being generated to make that happen. In my role, I work on lots of projects, so it’s nice to think about all the jobs being made and buildings being built in part because I played my role in the process.

MGAC: Keeping a busy project list requires a good source of energy. What’s yours?

MS: Coffee and my dog! My day usually starts around 5:00 am with an hour-long walk with my Goldendoodle, Bentley. That gets me up and moving, and when I am working from home, he keeps me energized as well, waiting for his next walk!

MGAC: Is that routine rain or shine?

MS: Yes, and in the winter, Bentley has snow boots to wear! Carrying a 70-pound dog home because they have snow in their paw pads and won’t move will definitely teach you to buy them boots!

MGAC: That’ll do it! Now, are you ready for some rapid-fire questions?

MS: I think so!

MGAC: You’re starting the workday. What’s the first thing you do?

MS: Fire up the laptop. Check my to-do list. Prioritize.

MGAC: And the last thing? 

MS: Organize my to-do list. Power down the laptop.

MGAC: What’s the first item on your to-do list right now?

MS: Work on a quantity takeoff for the Pasadena Central Library.

MGAC: What can you not get through the workday without?

MS: Taking my dog on that morning walk. He won’t let me start the workday otherwise!

MGAC: What’s the most-used app on your phone?

MS: The calculator app. I have a calculator on my desk, but I still find myself grabbing the phone first to do a quick calculation.

MGAC: How might you describe your job in five words or less?

MS: Converting drawings and specs to budgets. (If we take out the “and,” that’s five!)

MGAC: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

MS: If you’re f eeling overwhelmed, don’t dwell – taking a quick break is often enough all you need to reset.

MGAC: What book would you recommend to a colleague?

MS: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. It’s a good read for anyone who might want to manage people or is in a particularly people-facing role.

MGAC: Looking at the industry ten years from now, what do you predict will have changed?

MS: More AI. More green building practices.

MGAC: What do you think will remain the same?

MS: The human element. AI might be counting the lighting fixtures for us, but we’re going to need people to bring it all together to check that it makes sense before the final product goes out to the client.

MGAC: What would your dream project look like?

MS: Something that brings me to the jobsite often, so I can see the progress. Ideally, a resort somewhere warm!

MGAC: What are you known for around the office?

MS: Smiling a lot, so I’ve been told! I hope it’s contagious. On the flip side, when I am in the zone working, I’m quite focused and startle very easily!

MGAC: What’s something your colleagues don’t know about you?

MS: If I say this, I suppose it means I’m committed: I’m trying to learn the guitar! I’m going to be doing Zoom calls with my dad, who’s always tried to get me into playing. Once I teach him how to use Zoom, that’s what I’ll be doing!

MGAC: Where might we find you if you’re not at work?

MS: Probably outside with my partner Christine and dog Bentley. I enjoy snowboarding, kayaking, hiking, going on walks, bike riding—anything that gets me outside!