Shaping our Shared Future – Desiree Pastorin

Desiree Pastorin is a Civil Engineering Technologist and Project Manager in our Winnipeg office. As part of the core group of staff since the office opened in 2011, she has been involved in nearly all of the projects delivered by our Winnipeg team. She has in-depth, multi-disciplinary knowledge of all aspects of water treatment plant design and construction. 

With thoughts of adding a second child to her family, Desiree and her husband were inspired by her manager who had constructed a second floor on his home six years earlier. Desiree felt it was the perfect plan to create much needed space and remain in the house that her husband grew up in. 

With the knowledge she has gained in her work at Associated, Desiree successfully took on the challenge of designing, drafting, and applying for the required building permits. In November 2017, demolition and construction began with the help of a few close friends. The entire main floor was gutted and re-configured. Over the next five months, while continuing to work their full-time jobs, Desiree and her husband spent every spare moment re-constructing their home, contracting out only the framing, drywall finishing, new HVAC, and exterior siding installation. 

Now a family of four (with their two sons), their “new” home provides all the space they need, while also being energy efficient. Upgrades to the insulation and HVAC system meant that despite rising utility rates and the doubling of their home’s square footage, their home heating and cooling costs remain similar to levels seen before construction. For Desiree, using her engineering and construction experience has proven to be a real way to shape her family’s future and establish a sustainable legacy for her family!