Published on January 31, 2019
NAIT’s centre for sustainable energy technology, opened in 2011, features banks of tall windows and high ceilings.
That sense of openness mirrors the design principles of Jack Menduk, the retired associate vice president of NAIT Capital Projects and Facilities Operations, who led the project to build the state-of-the-art facility.
A strong belief in open communication and fairness lies at the root of Menduk’s successful 25-year career. From small renovations to new building developments, he ensured everyone affected remained part of discussions from planning to completion.
“I always tried to see everything through their eyes,” he says. That extended to industry partners, too: “We wanted to be the owner of choice for contractors and consultants.” Looking back, those relationships are a point of pride for Menduk; they enabled him and his team to repeatedly deliver on time and on budget.
What’s more, they allowed him to highlight NAIT’s strengths, project by project. Menduk’s ability to communicate his vision and have others share it has influenced everything from his first project renovating NAIT’s Distribution Centre to the plans for the proposed Centre for Applied Technologies.
“We took out the brick walls and put in glass,” he says. “We opened up the spaces, brightened them to celebrate the teaching spaces – celebrate what NAIT was all about.”
Next time you’re at NAIT, take a close look at the imprint Menduk left on the school where his post-secondary education began. The quality of the facilities proves that strong relationships lead to great spaces.
— Heather Gray