By: Andrew Garret
Andrew Garret: Today, we’re thrilled to sit down with Omar Zhan, an innovative professional with a rich background spanning both technology and construction space. Omar, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Let’s dive in. Why construction? What initially sparked your interest in this space?
Omar Zhan: Thank you for having me. My interest in the construction industry started early. I remember watching the documentary series “Megastructures” on the Discovery Channel, where seeing new buildings rise in just a few months and transform city landscapes always fascinated me. The practical application of engineering principles in building structures led me to dive into this more, eventually leading me to apply for a Civil Engineering degree at the University of Nottingham.
Andrew Garret: After graduating, you returned to Kazakhstan and worked on several significant projects. Can you share more about your experience there?
Omar Zhan: As I was graduating, I received job offers from different parts of the world, including opportunities to start my career in Singapore and Qatar. While these options were tempting, I felt it was important to return home for at least a year, knowing that Kazakhstan was also experiencing transformative changes with major investments in infrastructure from both public and private sectors.
I accepted an invitation to be a part of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Almaty, the first luxury hotel in Central Asia and the tallest building in the city at 656 feet, designed by world renowned architectural firm – Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. This experience allowed me to witness best construction practices firsthand by being part of a top-tier quality control and scheduling team. Working for this company and collaborating with some of the best professionals in the field, I quickly acquired advanced scheduling techniques. Within six months, I was leading cost intelligence and schedule management reporting efforts for the entire projects, managing reports of multiple vendors and subcontractors located globally.
Andrew Garret: Fascinating! Skidmore, Owings and Merrill is one of the most renowned architectural firms behind John Hancock Center in Chicago, Burj Khalifa in Dubai and many more. I saw you have been a part of the World Expo. Can you tell us more about the Expo?
Omar Zhan: The Expo 2017 project in Astana stands out as one of the most significant projects I’ve ever been involved with. Spanning 430 acres and comprising over 50 mixed-use, commercial, residential, and entertainment buildings, we referred to it as a “city within a city.” I played a pivotal role in the design and engineering efforts, collaborating with globally renowned firms like Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, KCA International, and Foster + Partners. This project was exceptionally complex, integrating sustainable features and innovative technologies, and it demanded meticulous planning and real-time problem-solving.
Given the extremely tight timeline of just three years, we had to run design and construction efforts in parallel, which significantly heightened the cost of errors and required the most advanced project management, scheduling, BIM, and design coordination techniques. The challenge of maintaining accuracy and efficiency under such conditions was immense, but it led to the realization of one of the most complex and aesthetically unique projects.
One of our significant achievements was winning the AIA 2016 Innovation Award for our sustainable design and energy management approach. These experiences not only honed my technical skills but also sparked my interest in optimizing construction and project management processes using technology.
Andrew Garret: I believe after Expo, you decided to deepen your understanding of the industry by delving into the world of technology. Can you tell us more about that decision and how it influenced your career?
Omar Zhan: After the Expo project, I felt compelled to further explore the intersection of technology and construction, which led me to pursue my Master’s in Technology at Duke University, one of the top-ranked institutions in the country. Duke provided me with a broader perspective on how technology can revolutionize traditional industries like construction. During my studies, I took courses in Data Science and Product Management, which equipped me with the skills to leverage data-driven insights and manage technology-driven projects. This education empowered me to drive innovation and efficiency in construction processes, ultimately transforming how projects are managed and executed.
Armed with this new understanding, I was eager to tackle new challenges in the industry. That’s when I was presented with a remarkable opportunity to join Katerra, a company that had raised $2.5 billion in venture funding from SoftBank to assemble some of the most innovative minds in the industry with the goal of revolutionizing construction. This role not only allowed me to apply my newfound expertise, further enriching my professional expertise and expanding my horizons in cutting-edge construction practices.
Andrew Garret: Moving on to your time at Katerra, could you share some insights into the projects you led there? I understand you led programs in building multi-family residential apartments within remarkably short timeframes. What was unique in the approach and how did you do this?
Omar Zhan: One of the flagship projects at Katerra was the K90 Program, which aimed to develop productized multi-family residential buildings that could be constructed in just 90 days. The vision was to vertically integrate all aspects of a typical construction site internally, creating a manufacturing-like environment to eliminate inefficiencies. I led the data strategy and project controls efforts, ensuring the execution plan was meticulously structured, from task organization to the optimization of sequences between different phases to enhance efficiency. This was a complex task, requiring sophisticated data modeling and alignment with real-world construction processes. Our efforts culminated in completing the project in just 86 days. The success of the K90 Program was a new way of construction project delivery which is currently further being implemented by the leading construction technology companies such as Juno, Onx Homes, Aro Homes and many more.
Andrew Garret: Your latest role at Rivian involved developing programs to support EV growth. Could you tell us about it and how it’s relevant to your previous experience?
Omar Zhan: Absolutely! Rivian, though primarily an electric vehicle manufacturer, is essentially a large-scale infrastructure company. The nature of electric vehicles necessitates a comprehensive network of charging stations to support them on a large scale. Additionally, with Rivian’s direct-to-consumer approach, the company needs to develop a robust distribution infrastructure, including service centers, retail stores, offices, logistics hubs, and manufacturing facilities. This presented a fascinating opportunity for me to help build a data-centric project infrastructure and growth plan essential for scaling the company and its operations. I took a productized approach, developing prototypes for each type of infrastructure to facilitate ease of scaling and expansion. My role involved creating an internal program for conceptualizing, estimating, and building each of Rivian’s new infrastructure pieces, streamlining the process for future growth.
Andrew Garret: You’ve had a remarkable career so far on the intersection of construction and technology. Can you please share what you are doing right now and your plans for the future?
Omar Zhan: Absolutely. Currently, I’m working for an electric vehicle charging company, where I’m developing an internal product that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate project design and construction estimating. In parallel, I’m also working on my startup, aiming to build the first company capable of achieving autonomous construction, with the vision of pioneering construction artificial general intelligence (AGI).
Andrew Garret: This is incredibly ambitious! Your past career and experience have brought you to the forefront of the construction technology field. What do you think are the latest trends in this space?
Omar Zhan: Absolutely, I don’t want to sound cliché, but it’s artificial intelligence. The past two years have been transformative, not just for construction but for the global economy as a whole. We’re starting to see more successful use cases of generative AI in real estate, design, preconstruction, and procurement, driving innovative approaches to how construction is done. Another key trend is agentic workflows, which could revolutionize project management by automating complex tasks and facilitating more efficient decision-making processes. These technologies are paving the way for a new era in construction.
Andrew Garret: Omar, thank you for sharing your incredible journey with us. We look forward to seeing what you achieve next in your career.
Omar Zhan: Thank you. It’s been a pleasure discussing my experiences, and I’m excited about the future and the opportunities that lie ahead.
Published by: Khy Talara
