Author: ob-admin

Welcome to our third Employee Spotlight post! We hope that you are enjoying learning more about members of our team through this new format. Please reach out to us if you have people in mind for future Employee Spotlight posts.

Today’s post features Chrisi Cover, who has been promoted to the position of Accounting Manager here at O’Brien Design+Build. Our CFO Paul Strassmaier told me that Chrisi came to mind right away for an Employee Spotlight because she embodies our core value of trust; I have your back and you have mine.

“Chrisi has made a great difference in getting things done as a team because she is constantly looking for ways to help other team members. Promoting Chrisi to Accounting Manager is recognition of the work that she is already doing to help others and make them better at what they do. To be effective, her role is about being both a policeman and a servant, so you are alternating between roles as you want to both help everyone get things done while at the same time follow the guidelines we’ve set up. Chrisi handles this duality very well. She has tons of experience in all aspects of accounting and what really differentiates Chrisi is her willingness to step in and to do anything for the benefit of the team – so she also exhibits collaboration. She has the tenacity required in the billing role to push, push, push to get to the heart of things and not give up. This is particularly important on the billing side because if we give up, we don’t get revenue. Chrisi’s insights and thoughts bring our team value well beyond accounting. I look forward to how she will continue to add to people’s knowledge and success here at the company.” Paul Strassmaier, CFO

Q&A with Chrisi

I love that it is fast-paced and all projects are different– keeps you on your toes.

I love working with others and working in a fast-paced environment where there is always something to be done and wearing many hats is regularly required.

I work in the Portland office. I have always worked in the Portland Metro area; living previously in Milwaukie and now in Oregon City.

I absolutely love visiting anywhere on the Coast. My other favorite local place is my Mom’s farm in Boring.

Listen and then speak; and most importantly, ask questions! I believe all questions are good questions when it comes to learning and growing in your respective positions. 

I was promoted to Accounting Manager! I am so excited to take on this role with the company and hope to help grow our accounting team to be the best we can possibly be for O’Brien. To succeed, we all need to work together as a team and continue to grow and learn in all accounting aspects. As always, communication is key.

Utilize all the tools and software O’Brien has to offer and ask questions if you are unsure or if you do not understand something. 

Understanding the significance of biophilic sustainable initiatives.

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” -Edmund Burke

With numerous O’Brien and Open Concept projects on the boards and in construction along the Oregon coast, several are noteworthy for their emphasis on direct connections to nature. Projects such as the Lloyd Hotel Astoria, the Whaler Hotel, Lincoln Sands, and the Hull Residence all incorporate the design strategy of connecting to nature.

Designing and constructing buildings with a direct connection to nature is called biophilia. Biophilic design enhances human-nature relationships.

These design strategies have many implications. On a smaller scale, their impact can be seen in the way they affect an individual occupant, and on a broader scale, with its direct impact on the environment.

Studies have shown that biophilic design contributes to improved physical and mental health, productivity, and overall well-being.

Below are several biophilic design strategies:

1. Providing access to, and views of, nature.

2. Incorporating passive heating and cooling.

3. Incorporating natural lighting.

4. Incorporating natural materials and colors.

5. Use natural shapes and forms.

Biophilic design benefits the individual occupant in a variety of ways; below are just a few:

1. Helps sharpen your senses.

2. Improves mindfulness.

3. Reduces stress and blood pressure.

4. Increases creativity.

5. Improves overall mood.

Benefits of biophilic design for the environment:

1. Helps increase biodiversity.

2. Reduces the carbon footprint and energy consumption.

3. Aids in natural resource conservation.

4. Helps manage stormwater runoff and reduces pollution.

5. Improves the air quality.

While the projects listed here may not be entirely biophilic or totally sustainable, the incorporation of biophilic design strategies such as those listed above on projects like the Lloyd Hotel Astoria, where reclaimed natural materials are incorporated, and views of the ocean are celebrated, can have a profound impact on the building’s inhabitants and the environment.

As stated in the above quote, let’s begin by making a small difference instead of risking doing nothing. Small initiatives can have large implications.

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” -Edmund Burke

With numerous O’Brien and Open Concept projects on the boards and in construction along the Oregon coast, several are noteworthy for their emphasis on direct connections to nature. Projects such as the Lloyd Hotel Astoria, the Whaler Hotel, Lincoln Sands, and the Hull Residence all incorporate the design strategy of connecting to nature.

Designing and constructing buildings with a direct connection to nature is called biophilia. Biophilic design enhances human-nature relationships.

These design strategies have many implications. On a smaller scale, their impact can be seen in the way they affect an individual occupant, and on a broader scale, with its direct impact on the environment.

Studies have shown that biophilic design contributes to improved physical and mental health, productivity, and overall well-being.

Below are several biophilic design strategies:

1. Providing access to, and views of, nature.

2. Incorporating passive heating and cooling.

3. Incorporating natural lighting.

4. Incorporating natural materials and colors.

5. Use natural shapes and forms.

Biophilic design benefits the individual occupant in a variety of ways; below are just a few:

1. Helps sharpen your senses.

2. Improves mindfulness.

3. Reduces stress and blood pressure.

4. Increases creativity.

5. Improves overall mood.

Benefits of biophilic design for the environment:

1. Helps increase biodiversity.

2. Reduces the carbon footprint and energy consumption.

3. Aids in natural resource conservation.

4. Helps manage stormwater runoff and reduces pollution.

5. Improves the air quality.

While the projects listed here may not be entirely biophilic or totally sustainable, the incorporation of biophilic design strategies such as those listed above on projects like the Lloyd Hotel Astoria, where reclaimed natural materials are incorporated, and views of the ocean are celebrated, can have a profound impact on the building’s inhabitants and the environment.

As stated in the above quote, let’s begin by making a small difference instead of risking doing nothing. Small initiatives can have large implications.

Do you know we need to double the number of our buildings in the next 40 years to support our growing population, that a majority of people now can’t afford a decent house or that 50% of our landfills are construction waste? How do we solve such issues? Prefabrication!

At O’Brien we have the technology, the collaboration, the right projects and mindset, so let’s push into prefabrication and learn how to be smarter, more economical and create higher quality and energy performing buildings. Attached are a few slides from the Prefabrication conference this year to show you where the industry and we are going.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we are talking about it! In order to break the stigma and create safe environments for these discussions we have to make time every month, every day and in every meeting for this issue.

According to the CDC, construction has the highest suicide rate of all industries, at 53.2 suicides per 100,000 workers. There are many reasons why construction workers are so prone to facing mental health issues that can result in substance abuse and suicidal thoughts. One of the biggest factors is that 89 percent of construction workers are men. Generally speaking, men underreport mental health issues and are therefore less likely to receive appropriate treatment. It’s not a coincidence that men are also more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and commit suicide, both of which are extreme forms of self-treatment for chronic mental health problems.

Help us change by starting to say:

• It’s okay not to be okay

• Create a safe space

• Listen without judgment, blame, shame, or criticism

• Don’t minimize someone’s challenge

• Don’t compare challenges

Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention

https://preventconstructionsuicide.com/Are_You_at_Risk

O’Brien Design+Build had a dominant presence at our first ever OSU Career Fair in February. We met dozens of eager, young talented professionals looking to place their newly accredited skills.

Alex Noble, Brandon Venegas, Elly Carroll and Wayne Corrick represented O’Brien & OCA at the Winter OSU Civil, Construction & Architectural Engineering Fair in February in Corvallis.  This was an inaugural event for us. We were very proud to have participated in this among many of our industry partners such as MacKenzie, ZCS, and Kirby-Nagelhout.  Standing by examples of our innovation as one of the first tables students saw was exciting. The timing of the Winter Fair is perfect, as students in the final year of academia are there to make their first official professional step after completing their degree.  Many had industry experience by way of internships throughout their collegiate path and some would be entering the workplace in their specified field for the first time. We met with so many bright, driven and qualified candidates for positions in fields related to Architecture/Design and Civil/Construction Management including a couple specializing in BIM. Overall, 25 resumes were gathered and 6 were entered into a final candidate pool for potential hire. The proudest report of the day though, was being able to tell students about their very own OSU Alumni, Alex Noble, and his successful path with O’Brien Design+Build post-graduation.

Alex, Brandon, and Elly at the OSU Career Fair