As a civil engineer working at a resort, there’s never a dull moment. When the resort occupancy is slowed down in the off-season, that’s when the real work begins – the myriad in-house development projects that help keep the resort fresh and exciting for guests. As rewarding as these projects are, they also come with their fair share of headaches!
Whether an entire overwater villa complex is being renovated or an additional swimming pool is being added, the stakes are high and the pressure is on always to deliver on time with flawless workmanship. The vision and desires of ownership and management have to be balanced with technical and budgetary realities. It’s the ultimate test engineering chops.
No two days are ever the same. One week the site may be surveyed and measurements taken, the next contractors and vendors are met with, and the week after that the work is awarded to winning bidders. The ongoing work is overseen usually by the civil/maintenance engineers from the resort, the local construction company engineers for specification adherence. A constant shuffle is made between the drafting table, the job site, and the management office.
Pride is taken in being a problem solver and finding creative solutions when issues inevitably crop up with these large-scale construction projects. Whether it’s a delayed material shipment, an unexpected discovery during demolition, or a tweak to the plans from ownership, the punches are rolled with and adaptation is made. A big part of the job is managing expectations of all the stakeholders when the reality of construction doesn’t always align with the original vision. Diplomacy all the while leading or working within a team of diverse talent in multi language environment is just as crucial as technical know-how.
The best part of the job is seeing these projects transformed from concepts to completed works, knowing a key role was played. That feeling when the finished structure or facility is walked through for the first time and guests enjoying it for years to come are imagined – that’s what makes all the stress worthwhile. The resort guests may not know them by name, but the work done behind the scenes to help create those picture-perfect vacation moments is appreciated.
The start of a new project brings new challenges and the chance to flex engineering muscles. Ways to top the last project are already dreamed up for when occupancy slows down again. The creativity never stops for a resort civil or a project engineer!
Maldives Resort Workers 