Meet the Team: Justin Dall’Osto

Your name: Justin Dall’Osto

What do you do at Iconica: Construction Project Manager

How long have you worked here: I have worked at Iconica for 3 years.

What do you love about your job?
I enjoy having opportunities to problem solve with my colleagues when new challenges present themselves on projects. Being able to continuously learn on a daily basis motivates me.

What is most exciting about your job?
I love being part of project teams where the team works together from beginning to end and cares about each other, our project partners and our clients.

How has construction or your job changed since you started?
Construction costs and lead times have been fluid over the past few years. This has made early and detailed project planning become an even stronger priority.

Were you interested in building as a child?
I started out my building career as a young child with a really cool colorful wooden block set that I still reminisce about. In the years to follow came a Playmobil castle then Legos. Later on in grades 7-12, wood shop and math class were highlights of my school day.

What are some of your favorite projects?
If you don’t already know, I am an optimistic person, a glass half full kind of guy. All of the projects I have worked on have at least one, if not more, favorite takeaways. The process of a design coming to life is a highlight on all projects whether it be a financial institution, an office refresh, a ground up education center, a medical training facility, or a hotel renovation.

Which famous person would you like to interview or meet?
I would like to spend a weekend exploring the wilderness with John Muir. For those who don’t know, one of his nicknames was Father of the National Parks. He was a true naturalist and environmental philosopher who advocated for preserving our natural lands. I enjoy spending time in nature as it allows me to unwind and become level.

Favorite song to sing in the car?
Fishing Blues by Taj Mahal or Paradise by John Prine.

What would you say to someone considering working with Iconica?
Do it! The grass is greener on this side of the fence.

How do you work with other departments at Iconica?
The level of integration between business development, design, engineering, preconstruction, and construction is really nice to have. We are all literally within steps of each other which provides all of us the ability to work through project-related items in real time.

Dream vacation?
Staying in a Fiji villa on stilts over the ocean and being able to scuba dive daily.

Do you have a dream project?
A project with alternate energy sources such as geothermal, solar, wind and/or a project with a greenhouse/biodome or green roof.

Best advice your mother or father gave you?
My dad would always say, “You have to work hard to play hard.”

If you weren’t in the construction field what would you be doing?
Master Scuba Diver in the Caribbean or a Cheesemonger to follow in my grandpa’s footsteps.

Favorite snack food? Cheese with a side of cheese.

What does a regular day look like for you?
A regular day is comprised of lots of personable interactions at the office and at the project sites. Internal and external project meetings occur daily to help move projects in the forward direction and general project management via phone calls and emails.

Are you a morning or night person? Depends on how late I stayed up the night before.

What is something most people don’t know about you?
I lived in Australia for 3 months and went on numerous nature and climbing excusions in the Australian Blue Mountains with my mate, Andrew. The highlight of this particular canyoneering excursion was being able to swim through a cave with glow worms suspended to the roof. After being in this canyon for 12+ hours, we realized we were missing a critical section of map. We were exhausted, wet, cold and way too far into the depths of the canyon to even consider turning back. The canyon had the potential for flash flooding, so we summoned the courage to scale a 250+ foot rock escarpment with no protection. As we emerged from the canyon, the sun set and we hiked by moonlight for a few hours trying to find out way out. After disagreeing on which direction to go, we spent a cold 40 degree night without camping gear in a country with the deadliest snake and spider species, but we managed to live another day to tell this tale!