Matt Johnson is a unicorn in San Diego's construction industry: a licensed architect who thrives in both design and building.
Currently steering design integration at the Los Angeles Convention Center project, Matt has spent years mastering Design-Build management—a path that wasn't always smooth.
After earning his architecture degree from the University of Kansas in 1994, job prospects were slim for the Colorado native. Matt worked for an architecture firm in Memphis, Tennessee, before pursuing a master's degree at UC Berkeley. Graduating in 1997, he joined a San Francisco architecture practice that eventually merged with Webcor partner Perkins+Will.
"I spent two years on the Pier One project, west of the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero. I put my heart and soul into that project," Matt recalls, only to see the contractor "slash and burn" the design. "It was a value-engineered project, so everything changed. As a young designer, I was like, 'What the hell just happened?'"
That frustration led him to Nibbi Brothers, where he hoped learning the construction side would make him a better Architect. "I planned to return to architecture," Matt says. "That never happened." Instead, Nibbi allowed him to work on the Pier One renovation—the very project he had helped design.
"That was a unique experience," he says. His time at Nibbi shifted his focus, and he soon found himself drawn to preconstruction and Design-Build. "I really started to get into it," he says.
His next stop was San Diego.
A new chapter began in San Diego. "My wife is an architect," he says; they met in architecture school. "We realized two architects in the Bay Area would have a tough time making a living." So, he took a job with a small residential Design-Build company. That work slowed down with the 2008 recession, and Matt jumped at the opportunity to join Webcor in 2010 to work on the design-build 41 Area project at Camp Pendleton.
When Webcor later closed its San Diego office, Matt faced a choice: relocate to Los Angeles or San Francisco or stay put. "Some staff moved, but I didn't want to leave San Diego," he says. Instead, he joined Skanska's San Diego team, where he worked for five years.
His next stop was to the “owner’s side” with a developer, overseeing high-end luxury apartments from land acquisition to project completion. "I loved working for a developer," Matt reflects. "It was fun to call the shots and make decisions, to see things through from start to finish. I gained real empathy for the pressures owners are under."
However, the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard, and Matt found himself one of 84 employees laid off. His wife's architecture studio, however, was holding its own. "COVID was good for her," he says. "People stuck at home were doing remodels and accessory dwelling units (ADUs), keeping her busy."
Matt then joined Balfour Beatty, but after only eight months, Cecilia Kucharki—returning to Webcor to open its new San Diego office—reached out. She wanted Matt to join her. "I didn't feel good about leaving Balfour Beatty so soon," Matt admits, "but Cecilia and I are good friends, and I trust her…plus she was persistent, and I appreciated her passion for restarting the San Diego office." When Webcor's President and CEO Matt Rossie, along with Executive VP Jit Pahilajani, visited San Diego to share their vision for the region, Matt reconsidered.
"I realized that if Webcor hadn't left San Diego the first time, I probably never would have left. It's an awesome company with great people and culture—a great fit for me."
Matt dove into the design-build UCSD Ridge Walk student housing pursuit with Mithun, a project in which Webcor came in second place. While that loss was difficult for the entire pursuit team, it created a strong bond between Matt and the Mithun team, which eventually led to the pursuit of the UCI student housing pursuit that Webcor and Mithun successfully won. "Being in the trenches with Mithun for a tough loss like Ridge Walk definitely created collective trust and respect between our companies. It was exciting that we could take the loss of Ridge Walk and turn it into the UCI win.”
Matt recently moved on from the UCI project and is now working on the Los Angeles Convention project as the Design Integrator, working with Populous Architects out of Kansas City and interfacing with multiple stakeholders for the City of LA.
Looking back on his career, Matt is grateful for his various roles—working for owners, architects, and developers. "It's made me more empathetic to all sides," he says.
For better or worse, the holidays are an emotional time for many.
While generally celebrated as a season filled with joy, festivities, and gratitude, this time of year can also compound feelings of loneliness and isolation—especially for those missing their loved ones.
Sr. Superintendent Toby Bender has seen it firsthand. For the last few years, he’s spent the holidays at MorningStar Memory Care at San Tomas in San Jose, where his wife Bernadette works closely with the assisted living facility’s senior residents as director of memory care. Together, Toby and Bernadette have served snacks, played games, and simply listened to music with countless MorningStar residents who would have otherwise spent the holidays alone.
With the holidays quickly approaching, Toby and Project Manager Saurabh Bisen decided to organize a volunteer trip to MorningStar with their Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) Behavioral Health Services Center (BHSC) Exteriors team. Connecting with their local senior community was the perfect way to take advantage of Webcor’s annual volunteer hours, bond with their teammates, and kick off the holiday season.
“Every year, we enthusiastically support food banks, toy drives for kids, and winter clothing collections for the unhoused—all wonderful causes,” Saurabh says. “However, senior living facilities are usually less frequented during the holidays, despite being home to many who may be away from their families. We wanted to do something special for our cherished elders, so we organized our team visit to MorningStar.”
On Nov. 15, MorningStar staff members welcomed the Exteriors team at the facility’s front entrance before escorting them to their community room, where residents were eagerly waiting. The team wasted no time diving right into MorningStar’s activities—Sudoku puzzles, catch games, card games, group word puzzles, art projects, and lively rounds of ring toss and balloon tennis.
“The seniors embraced every activity with pure happiness,” Saurabh says. “Whether sharing a smile over a solved Sudoku puzzle, cheering during a lively game of balloon tennis, or watching their creativity shine through their paintings and keychains, it was heartwarming to share in their genuine excitement and enthusiasm.”
After the Exterior team’s visit, Bernadette and Morning Star’s executive director shared that they hadn’t seen the community room filled with so much palpable joy in quite some time. It was a refreshing change of pace for the seniors, who typically spend their days alone, with one another, or with visiting family members.
“We loved seeing their faces light up with laughter throughout our time together,” Saurabh says. “It was humbling to witness their gratitude and realize that small gestures of kindness can create meaningful bonds.”
To Saurabh, that was what stood out the most: the total ease with which they connected to the seniors. It didn’t matter that they were strangers from different generations; they were completely enraptured by MorningStar residents’ intriguing, often heartwarming stories detailing memories and adventures from decades past.
Some may be uncomfortable with the idea of visiting an assisted living facility—they’re nervous they’ll fail to connect, say the wrong thing, or have no idea what to say at all. Saurabh advises anyone feeling that way to let go of that pressure and simply go into the experience with an open mind and kind heart. It will be more than enough.
“If you’re not sure what to say, start the conversation with simple, light topics like hobbies, favorite memories, or current events,” he says. “They love to share stories! Focus on being present rather than saying the ‘perfect’ thing. You’ll quickly find that your time and attention mean more to them than words.”
“A special shout-out goes to Sr. Dept. Support Manager Diane Oliver and Sr. Field Administration Manager Jan Yi for their thoughtful contributions to our event!” Saurabh says. “They provided us with Webcor swag including stress balls, playing cards, and many other items that were an absolute hit among the seniors. The smiles on their faces as they played with all the swag items were priceless, adding an extra layer of joy to our visit.”
Only five people were permitted to visit MorningStar at once. Those five members from the SCVMC BHSC Exteriors team included:
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The Isle House team officially achieved temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO) on June 7.
The Isle House team officially achieved temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO) on June 7.
At the beginning of the year, Sr. Superintendent Maria Damas, who oversaw the TCO schedule with the project team's support, set a goal of June 7 to reach the milestone. She hit that date precisely. "A lot of things had to go perfectly to achieve that," says Project Director Ted Williams.
Ted shouted out other team members for their contributions:
The project will reach substantial completion in mid-July, with the first residents arriving on August 1.
What they're saying: "This TCO doesn't happen without the extraordinary hard work of each and every one of our One Webcor team members," Ted says. These include: Maria Damas, Karen Turcios, Kristina Reyna, Cynthia Zolezzi, Lynn Bass, John Wilson, Pat Forbeck, Kenny Hua, Matt Moran, Kelly Martz, Justin Schmitt, Lucas Decasper, Ivan Chavez, Phil Nunez, BRENNAN TAYLOR, David Grattan, Mark Zherebnenkov, Erik Roggeveen, Rene Iriartborde, Tom McCue, Ivan Ramos, Jorge "Nacho" Equihua, Mario Saldana, Sergio Ruiz (and shout out to those that joined us for a portion of the project: Dave Thompson, Jocelyn Mezofenyi, Stephanie Azzolino, Erik Biczkow, Paulo "Porky" Munoz, Brian Kearney, Karl Jeppesen, Jan Yi, Jackie Cardera, Zak McKellips, and Mac Hammitt).
