JMJohn C. Melching III
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Preconstruction · Project Management · Design Engineering

Complex work.
Made buildable.

I lead ambitious architectural and specialty construction from early design through fabrication, field installation, and closeout - especially when the path forward is not obvious.

See how I work Connect on LinkedIn Download résumé
Architectural interior at Moynihan Train Hall in New York
Moynihan Train HallNew York City
15+Years across shop, design, and delivery
~$30MLargest signature specialty scope led
Full-cycleConcept, cost, fabrication, field, closeout

The value I bring

I lead where design intent meets fabrication reality.

Titles only tell part of the story. I am equally comfortable building a ROM budget, resolving an engineered detail, negotiating scope, setting a recovery schedule, reviewing work in the shop, or stepping into the field when the job demands it.

Design-assistEstimatingConstructabilityProject controlsFabricationField leadership

Flagship case studies

Proof under pressure.

Two projects that show how I operate when the work is large, visible, technically unusual, and unforgiving.

01 / FlagshipNew York, NY

Moynihan Train Hall

A landmark public space. A relentless closeout.

Role
Project Manager + primary GC contact
Specialty scope
Nearly $30M
Public context
255,000 SF · $1.6B development

I was responsible for turning a broad package of custom glass, architectural metal, trims, canopies, hidden doors, graphics, access panels, and cladding into coordinated work that could be fabricated, delivered, installed, and accepted.

That meant solving engineering details, directing logistics and manpower, protecting schedule, coordinating with the general contractor and many adjacent trades, and maintaining shop and field quality. At the end, I worked night shift for two months to close critical work without losing composure or momentum.

  • Primary point of contact with the general contractor
  • Engineering resolution, sequencing, logistics, and manpower
  • Shop QC through installation and closeout
  • Calm coordination inside an unusually complex work environment

What it demonstratesTechnical judgment, accountability, and the willingness to stay with the problem until the building is ready.

Custom glass wall work at Moynihan Train HallArchitectural metal finishes and stairs at Moynihan Train HallGlass elevator enclosure at Moynihan Train Hall
02 / FlagshipPrinceton, NJ

Rubenstein Commons · Institute for Advanced Study

When standard equipment could not solve the lift, I designed the answer.

Role
Project Manager + design problem-solver
Specialty scope
Nearly $5M
Critical challenge
Custom prismatic glass up to 2,000 lb
Rubenstein Commons exterior at duskPrismatic glass facade seen from inside Rubenstein Commons

The prismatic glass facade presented a handling problem that had resisted a workable installation plan. Conventional vacuum equipment could not be used in the required conditions.

I learned what the problem required, developed a purpose-built lifting rig that interfaced with vacuum robots, translated the concept into a fabrication packet, and helped carry the solution into the field. The result made it possible to move roughly 2,000-pound custom glass units safely to the building.

This is the work I am proudest of: stepping into an unfamiliar technical constraint, respecting the risk, and creating a practical answer that experienced teams had not yet found.

What it demonstratesRapid learning, design engineering, fabrication fluency, and the confidence to own a solution from idea through execution.

Fabrication drawing for the IAS prismatic glass lifting rig
Purpose-built prismatic glass lifting rigFabrication packet drawn by JTM · 2021
Prismatic glass panel being lifted in the field

The mindset: learn fast, model the risk, design for the people who must build it, and stay close enough to the work to know the answer is real.

Selected work

Iconic projects. Different problems.

A portfolio spanning curtain wall, glass, canopies, lighting, architectural metal, adaptive reuse, and custom fabrication.

One Times Square Canopy03

New York, NY

One Times Square Canopy

Project Manager~$2M specialty scope

Developed a custom glass frit strategy that created the intended multi-panel appearance while materially reducing fabrication and installation complexity.

United Overseas Bank04

New York, NY

United Overseas Bank

Estimator + Design Engineer~$11M specialty scope

Estimated and engineered a custom curtain wall retrofit with integrated linear lighting on a highly visible Fifth Avenue facade.

God's Love We Deliver05

New York, NY

God's Love We Deliver

Design Engineer + Project Manager~$6M specialty scope

Supported design engineering and stepped into project leadership late in the delivery cycle for a complex adaptive-reuse expansion.

545 Madison06

New York, NY

545 Madison

Estimator + Project Manager~$3.5M specialty scope

Led estimating and project management for a large custom curtain wall scope in a demanding Midtown environment.

Bulfinch Crossing07

Boston, MA

Bulfinch Crossing

Design Engineer + Estimator~$1.5M specialty scope

Developed design and pricing for custom exterior architectural elements within a 2.9-million-square-foot downtown redevelopment.

Goldman Sachs Canopy08

New York, NY

Goldman Sachs Canopy

Early Estimating + Shop Support~$8M specialty scope

An early-career introduction to iconic custom work: assisted with estimating and contributed hands-on shop work while still in school.

A different kind of operator

Shop-built instincts. Executive-level range.

I started in a metal shop at 15, finishing stainless and running a brake press and shear. I grew up around a family-run architectural business as it scaled into major New York work. That foundation still shapes how I lead: respect the craft, tell the truth, understand the commercial stakes, and never lose sight of the people doing the work.

01

Engineering mind

I translate design intent into details, scopes, and methods that can actually be built.

02

Commercial instinct

I understand estimating, risk, value engineering, change, and the decisions behind the numbers.

03

Field composure

I can enter a difficult meeting, say what needs to be said, and leave the room with relationships intact.

04

Adaptable leadership

I learn new tools and technologies quickly, then turn them into practical systems for the team.

“The best solution respects the design, the budget, the fabricator, the installer, and the person who has to live with the result.”

Beyond the work

Systems thinker, builder, husband, runner, dog person.

The same curiosity and endurance I bring to complex projects show up everywhere else in my life.

John Melching and his wife together by the river at sunset
John and his wifeTogether since high school · Married since 2013

I am curious by default. I like complex systems, difficult questions, and the satisfaction of improving something through repeated passes.

Outside the jobsite, I run marathons, build and code 3D-printed engineering prototypes, and unwind with games where planning, adaptation, and systems thinking matter. My wife and I took a two-week trip to Japan that only made us want to go back, and our dogs are a constant part of life at home.

I try to consider more than one interpretation before deciding what I believe. I care deeply about fairness and doing right by people. That also means I am willing to hold my ground when something important is being handled the wrong way.

Curiosity

Understand the system, then improve it.

Endurance

Stay steady through the long, difficult stretch.

Principle

Listen carefully, act fairly, and stand behind the right call.

John after completing the Philadelphia Marathon
EndurancePhiladelphia Marathon finisher
John and his wife celebrating during their trip to Japan
PerspectiveTwo weeks exploring Japan
John's two dogs relaxing together outside
Home teamTwo very good dogs

Career experience

From the shop floor to preconstruction leadership.

More than 15 years across architectural metals, glass, monumental stairs, utilities, solar, and specialty construction.

2025 - Present

Synergi LLC

Preconstruction Manager / Senior Construction Project Manager

Design-assist, ROM budgets, constructability, schedules, vendor strategy, procurement, QA/QC, and field readiness for high-profile feature stairs and architectural scopes.

2024 - 2025

Graboyes · Henkels & McCoy · Kupper Engineering

Design Engineering, Preconstruction, and Project Management

Built project-control systems, managed $10M+ utility work, developed schedules and forecasts, and coordinated technical delivery across varied environments.

2018 - 2024

Genesis Architectural LLC

Operations Manager / Senior Project Manager

Directed drafting, fabrication, installation, vendor coordination, budgets, schedules, executive client communication, quality standards, and staff development.

2006 - 2018

M3AE LLC · American Architectural, Inc.

Project Manager, Estimator, Assistant PM, and Shop Support

Developed the full-cycle foundation: estimating, detailing, scopes, field inspections, fabrication, closeout, and high-profile New York specialty work.

Education

Bachelor of Architectural Engineering · Minor in Business · Penn State University, 2013

Where I fit

A specialty leader for work that does not fit neatly in a box.

Start a conversation

Have a difficult project, an unusual role, or a problem that needs an owner?

I am open to specialty and management-level opportunities where technical depth, adaptability, and clear leadership matter.

Connect with me on LinkedIn Download résumé Email me
hirejohnmelching@gmail.com