Andres began searching for a full-time career during his senior year at Anahuac University in Mexico City. A soon-to-be graduate with a Civil Engineering degree, his search efforts included exploring the world’s leading commercial real estate firms, where he discovered Hines. Intrigued by the firm’s experience, Andres took a chance by cold calling the Mexico City office to inquire about any potential openings that would be a good fit, but was ultimately hired by another firm. Fast forward to July 2019–after applying for an Assistant Construction Manager role at Hines, a recruiter reached out to Andres for an interview and soon after, he was offered the position.
Andres is Assistant Construction Manager at Reforma 265, a 28-story, Hines-managed office building in Mexico City’s financial district. His days begin with a tour of the property, which recently went through a complete renovation. He oversaw the day-to-day construction of the remodel of all 28 lobbies and 26 service corridors along with the bathrooms of each floor. He and his team repaired the cleaning cradles of the building that had been out of service for the last 15 years. He alternates between day and night shifts and is always in close communication with building engineers and the operations team to maintain a comfortable work environment for tenants.
“I oversaw a unique project at Reforma 265. There was an underground river flowing between our building and the parking structure behind it–both were separated by approximately one meter,” Andres explains. “Because the water was visible from the basement, our objective was to capture and remove it via a container that we constructed. This helped maintain optimal building conditions and prevent leaks through the basement walls.”
A native of Mexico City and the son of a military engineer, Andres has lived in seven different cities in Mexico and one in Canada. When it is time to unwind, he opts for exercise–kickboxing and playing basketball. Playing the guitar as a hobby, listening to music and attending concerts rank high on his list of favorites.
Andres advises those interested in pursuing a role in construction management to, “Always think about possibilities and above all, think about safety. Enjoy the work you’re doing and take pride what you are creating.”