AANHPI Engineers on Inclusivity and the Obama Presidential Center
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Officially established in 1992, AANHPI Heritage Month invites us to honor and celebrate the contributions of this diverse community across history.
It was established in May for two reasons: to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843 and to acknowledge the thousands of Chinese workers involved in the long, arduous build of the first transcontinental railroad completed in May of 1869. President Obama, who was born in Hawaii, signed a proclamation in 2009 to change the name to AANHPI to be more inclusive of islanders.
For AANHPI Heritage Month, Lakeside Alliance caught up with three team members to discuss their journey in construction, how their identity informs their work and why it’s important to create more inclusive spaces in the industry:
Divyesh Mayani
is a project engineer for the miscellaneous metal trades. After earning an engineering degree in India, he decided to explore the world and earn his master’s degree in construction management from the University of Texas, Arlington. He moved to Chicago to work on a railroad project before joining the team at Lakeside Alliance principal firm Power & Sons.
Dhvanee Bhavsar
began her journey with the Obama Presidential Center project in the summer of 2022 as an intern for Lakeside Alliance principal firm Turner Construction. After earning a master’s in civil engineering and construction management from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, she joined the Lakeside Alliance team full-time as a mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineer.
Mrudul Patil
grew up walking construction sites in Mumbai with his father, who also worked in the industry. He came to the United States to study at Michigan State University, where he earned a master’s degree in construction management. He then moved to Chicago to join the team at Lakeside Alliance principal firm UJAMAA Construction. He joins Dhvanee on the MEP team.
Can you tell us about your role on the Obama Presidential Center project?
Divyesh: I am a project engineer for miscellaneous metals such as the structural, steel, ornamental and stair packages. At the beginning, I focused on the miscellaneous metals scope of work, then got shifted to focus more on interior and ornamental. Altogether, it’s a $30 million scope of work. It’s challenging but I like the challenge!
Dhvanee: Within the MEP team, I look after all the low-voltage subcontractors. Essentially, it comprises stage equipment, stage lighting, IT/data, antenna systems and audio/visual. What I like about this work is that a lot of it is unique to the Center. It keeps me on my toes everyday.
Mrudul: I am the Project Engineer for Cx (Commissioning) and I do a little bit of everything in the MEP team, like review pricing, process submittals and address general coordination items. A big part of the engineering role is managing documents and acting as a coordinator between the architect and our crews — basically, everything leading up to installation.
What excites you most about being a part of this historic project?
Divyesh: The Obama Presidential Center is an iconic building that will stand for many years. People from around the world will come to see it, which is great to think about. Working for a client like the Obama Foundation and President Obama is really meaningful.
Dhvanee: I’ve been saying since I was an intern that this project truly has a vision. There’s so much thought behind it, and it doesn’t just end the minute it’s done. Even talking about AANHPI Heritage Month, I feel like I’m helping carry that vision forward by being a part of this team and sharing this experience with friends and family. I look forward to visiting and telling people that I led a small part of such a big project.
Mrudul: The biggest difference, and what excites me most, is the community and diversity of the team itself. There are so many different types of people and companies all coming together. I think it’s very, very unique to the Center. Even when things get busy, I have so many people around me that I can rely on.
What is your greatest hope for the outcome of the Center?
Divyesh: That it uplifts the community. Lakeside Alliance has involved a lot of local people and businesses to build this, so that’s a big thing and gives people the opportunity to be a part of it.
Dhvanee: That once the Center is built, it’s going to be a place where communities can come together and experience life together.
Mrudul: Chicago is already an international city, but I hope this project will be something people from all over will want to see when they visit and something that creates a lot of jobs.
How does your identity impact or inform your work? What does it mean to be AANHPI in construction?
Divyesh: As an Asian person in construction, we are in the minority compared to other engineering fields like computer science or IT, for example. I feel very proud to be here and uplift the AANHPI community while being a part of this iconic project.
Dhvanee: I have realized how cultural and language differences can create barriers at times, but also lead to more diversity of thought. I have different ideas and a different cultural background that I can bring to the table, which has helped me magnify my confidence and uplift the belief that we have throughout this community to value each other’s perspectives.
Mrudul: I feel honored to be representing my community on a job of this scale, and I think we need more representation in the industry. My cultural identity informs the way I communicate. It’s interesting to see all different people from different backgrounds come together and connect within the Lakeside Alliance team. I think it creates a really fun environment that helps the entire team do their job better.
How have you seen inclusivity practiced on the Obama Presidential Center project?
Divyesh: This is the first project I’ve been on that is this diverse. When I joined two years ago, I felt that way and it hasn’t changed.
Dhvanee: This project is a classic example of diversity and inclusion because not only the general contractors, but also the trades and everyone involved, have members from diverse, minority and local communities on their teams. It feels empowering that we are being given a voice and a face to represent our communities.
Mrudul: It started when Lakeside Alliance set a goal of awarding at least 50% of the contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses. Starting with that goal makes a big statement. Also, if you have any concerns, you can very easily reach out to anybody and ask for help. I think that’s one of the biggest pieces of inclusivity available to all team members.
How can we create more inclusive spaces in the industry, and why is that important?
Divyesh: Having different communities represented on projects will help us continue to share our culture with others. Inclusivity allows us to create a platform for open dialogue between people of all backgrounds and make respectful spaces for everyone in the industry.
Dhvanee: One big thing is how the project standardizes inclusivity. I think sometimes people don’t recognize things until they have been done before. The Center is a model that shows people the difference you can make when you are intentional about your goals.
Mrudul: In the case of the Center, all of this was thought about early on and it was made an important part of the project. For inclusivity to happen and for Asian Americans to be represented more, we need to take a step back and start incorporating that mindset well before the construction starts. We need more projects like this one to show everyone that this can be done.