Otis Klingbeil

Columbus, OH, USA

Estimator, Cello & Maudru Construction

Otis was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and studio art from Bates College in 2020. After school, he moved to San Francisco, where he has lived ever since. Otis has long seen himself pursuing a career in real estate development, but wanted to begin by learning the construction side of the business to understand fundamentally how buildings are built.

Otis is joining the UC Berkeley MRED+D program after spending the previous three-and-a-half years working for Cello & Maudru Construction, a general contractor which focuses on high-end residential and commercial winery work throughout the Bay Area. He began as a project engineer but soon shifted to preconstruction to gain increased visibility into each project and its design teams. As an estimator, he worked closely with clients and designers to manage bid and value engineering processes for numerous innovative residential projects, from preliminary design through construction start.

Through the MRED+D program, Otis is eager to gain a holistic understanding of real estate development to ultimately pursue design-forward, infill residential community projects with an emphasis on sustainable materials and construction methods. Otis has always had a passion for creating art and understands the impact design can have in driving successful developments that benefit both our communities and our natural environment. He looks forward to pursuing these ideas through the MRED+D program.

Growing up on a sheep and cattle farm outside of Columbus has given Otis a love for the outdoors. In his free time, he enjoys gravel biking, road trips with friends, backpacking, oil painting, and exploring California’s landscapes.