Q+A with Matthew Solodon

How do you describe your job to people outside of the industry?

There are many different groups at Ghafari that each deal with a different part of designing commercial buildings. I'm part of the group that focuses on the mechanical side of things specifically for processes that will be completed in the building. This deals a lot with piping and ductwork for various equipment. This equipment might need connections for compressed air, chilled water, exhaust, or a multitude of other hookups. I use 3D CAD software to route these pipes and ducts where I can see everything in the building to coordinate with.

Why did you decide to become a mechanical designer?

As a kid I always enjoyed math and science classes, and activities such as building/designing with Legos (and Legos are still enjoyable as an adult). Because of this, I knew engineering or something related to engineering would be a good fit for me. In college, I found myself very interested in the thermal fluid science courses. With those courses dealing a lot with fluid flow and other related topics, it was fitting I would end up here working with fluid flow through piping and ductwork.

How would you describe life at Ghafari?

Collaborative. With so many departments working on the different functions of the project, there is a need to coordinate with the other departments to make sure we are all aligned and on track to have each part of the overall product work as intended with each other. This helps with both the quality and efficiency of our work.

What is the most exciting thing that has happened during your time here?

The people I've met and work with. I greatly appreciate all of them. They make this already enjoyable job an even better and more exciting experience. Collaborating with them, learning from them, or just talking with them about work or other life things (even though I'm not that talkative of a person, I really do enjoy all our conversations). The best memories I'm making at Ghafari are with the people here. They are the highlight of everyday. They tie together everything else that is great about Ghafari.

What is a key idea or lesson you have learned while working at Ghafari?

I've learned how critical communication is for our work. I knew this would be important, and my time here has shown me how crucial it is to be on the same page with everyone. It seems a lot of people agree with this and point to communication as being vital, and that shows how important it really is. Being able to explain a variety of topics to all the people involved so there is no confusion, which gives us all the opportunity to put our best work forward.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I love music; whether it’s listening to and discovering new music, learning to play a song, or learning about random music theory topics. I play piano and spend most days playing it. A lot of what I enjoy playing and listening to is music from video games I enjoy (such as the Legend of Zelda series) or from my favorite movies (anything from Studio Ghibli). Once a month I also play the keyboard in the band at my church, which is a whole other experience getting to play music with other people. Other than music, I enjoy playing a variety of video games from puzzle games to roguelikes to RPGs (role-playing games) and many other genres.