INTERVIEW: Asher Mehmet, Greenway Associates
Greenway Associates is excited to welcome Asher Mehmet to our team as a Senior Quantity Surveyor.
GA: Welcome Asher! You’re coming to us from Mace - why the change from contractor to consultant side?
Asher: Thanks - I’m excited to be here! I actually started my career on the consultant side, working with clients searching for office space across London. I later moved into the contractor world to broaden my experience and really get my boots dirty on-site. So in many ways, this move is a return back from the dark side, as they say — bringing with me the knowledge and insight I’ve gained along the way. I’m looking forward to being more involved in the early, pre-construction stages of projects and applying my hands-on construction experience to that process.
GA: Do you have a particular specialism?
Asher: I’ve been fortunate to work across a wide range of project teams and sectors so far in my career. That said, my main area of specialism is fit-out and façade. In my previous role, I was the façade surveyor responsible for delivering high-end façade packages on several major office and residential schemes in London - a role that was both challenging and rewarding. Given the pressures the industry has faced in recent years, façades have become one of the most critical elements to get right in order to ensure overall project success.
GA: How do you think AI will affect the QS profession & the Construction industry at large?
Asher: I think if we utilize AI well, it will become a very powerful tool for the QS profession, especially in problem solving, analysing design drawings and even building-up a Bill of Quantities. While AI will undoubtedly shape the role of Quantity Surveyors and our day-to-day functions over the next decade, I don’t think it will replace us. Instead those who fail to adopt AI risk being left behind.
GA: What appealed to you about Greenway Associates and which kind of projects are you most looking forward to working on?
Asher: What appealed to me most was the portfolio of exciting clients and projects that Greenway Associates is involved with. I’m particularly drawn to the Museums, Cultural and Heritage sector. Many of the sites GA works on are places I’ve visited countless times over the years as a South Londoner. I’ve always wondered, for example, how they got the blue whale skeleton into the Natural History Museum!
I was also drawn to the people here. From first impressions, the team and personalities at Greenway stood out to me. I already feel that working closely with them will help me grow into an even more effective quantity surveyor.
GA: You’re born and bred in London (South London to be precise!) - what’s your favourite space in London and why?
Asher: I could never imagine any other life than living in South London! My favourite space is definitely Greenwich. I love the contrast of old and new, the history, the market, the pastry shops and bubble tea! The best view of London is from the top of the hill by the observatory.
GA: Favourite pastime?
Asher: I love to travel in my spare time. I also love sport, so I often combine the two - travelling for Formula 1 races or football matches. The most interesting place I’ve ever visited is Tokyo, Japan and since returning I just can’t get enough of their food!