McKinstry Hires Peter Alspach as Principal Engineer for New Construction and National Design-Build

The world needs to bend the arc towards carbon reduction and decarbonization, and we need to do so harder and faster than we’ve done to date.”

Peter is a tenured professional with over 25 years’ experience in building engineering and design and is joining McKinstry in the Seattle office as the principal engineer for New Construction and National Design-Build. Peter aims to take our engineering and design efforts to the next level in terms of our expertise in carbon reduction and decarbonization in the built environment.  

Learn more about Peter’s experience and background in the engineering and design space.

Learn More About Peter’s Experience

What is your role at McKinstry? How did you get there?

I am the Principal Engineer for New Construction and National Design-Build with the Seattle team. Prior to this role, I’ve spent over 25 years in building engineering and design. Most recently I was Principal Director of Design Performance at NBBJ where I created and led a team focused on sustainability consulting and building performance analytics. Prior to that, I was with Arup for 18 years where I was a Principal and Project Director/Executive leading MEP offering along with leading multi-disciplinary engineering consulting teams on a wide variety of project types. I have always had a strong focus on building performance, analytics and sustainability.

How did you develop an interest in your field?

I entered college torn between engineering and architecture. I started out in architecture but switched after a year to engineering as my talents were exposed — my abilities in physics heavily outperformed drawing! From there, I focused on sustainability, building simulation, and renewable energy in graduate school before starting at Arup.

I enjoy my work engineering in the built environment because I get to work in the creative world of architectural design while applying my skills in engineering. With the built environment being such a dominant impact player in our work to mitigate and adapt to climate change, the AEC industry is one of the most impactful on a local and global scale. We CAN get there and it’s our job to just get down and do it!

What does success look like in your role?

Changing the world, one project at a time. Faster and broader decarbonization with a strong focus on human health and wellness. We can’t forget people in our rush to decarbonize.

What is the most rewarding thing about your work?

I love being able to have a physical manifestation of the legacy we leave behind in great works of architecture and engineering. I especially enjoy working on projects for the public good; schools, museums, hospitals, transit — you name it.

What change do you hope to inspire through your work at McKinstry?

I want our clients to get as excited about solving the climate crisis as we are; I seek to help them to realize that it’s a win-win for all of us.

For my team, I want all of us to be able to come in every day with a sense of purpose and leave every day with a sense of accomplishment — that we are actively making the world a better place and doing our part. Creating a culture of creativity and innovation that marries with the hard, practical underpinnings of our construction group to deliver solutions that work and are practical and affordable to our clients.

Explore Other Insights

McKinstry’s Technical Womxn Alliance

McKinstry Alliances are our version of employee resource groups or affinity groups. Alliances are voluntary, employee…

Diana Wright: Navigating Language Barriers with Empathy

“A lot of us live in a bubble, sharing the majority of the time with people in our own community. Hispanic Heritage M…