Boston, MA – National general contracting and construction management firm UA Builders Group has hired Richard L. Markel, AIA, LEED AP as Executive Project Manager. Established in 2014, UA is a commercial, institutional, retail, and multi-family builder operating nationwide.
The firm’s offices are located in Boston, MA; Miami, FL; Washington, DC; and New York, NY. UA Builders Group has completed more than two million square feet of projects for the shared workspace powerhouse WeWork.
“Richard brings an impressive wealth of national construction and design experience to our team, which will enormously benefit our clients through accelerated schedules and fine-tuned operational controls. He will lead some of the largest and most challenging projects throughout our Northeast and East Coast operations,” said Albert Gjonbalaj, CEO of UA Builders Group.
As project executive, Markel currently manages the 130,000-sq.-ft. WeWork office fit-out at 31 St. James Avenue in Boston, MA.
Markel’s responsibilities include oversight of all project activities in pre-construction, delivery, and close-out phases. He manages client needs assessments, estimating, value engineering and constructability analysis, budgets, contract administration, construction quality and schedules, commissioning, and post-construction client support.
His experience encompasses more than 15 million square feet of new construction projects. Prior to joining UA Builders, Markel served in senior construction management and design positions at leading national and international real estate, construction, and architectural organizations. These include Cushman & Wakefield, Savills Studley, Cresa, Gensler, and HOK. His portfolio includes some of the most prominent projects in the world, including the renovation of the iconic, 1-million-sq.-ft. Astrodome stadium and the 1.2-million-sq.-ft. global headquarters of Enron, both in Houston, TX; and the historic renovation of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC.
Markel holds a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, both from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and a registered architect in New York; Washington, DC; Texas; and Massachusetts. He is a LEED Accredited Professional and is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA). Markel is a licensed general contractor in Virginia and holds an unrestricted construction supervisor license in Massachusetts.
