by Alex Vanderweil
Alex Vanderweil
MEP engineering is an important driver of the success of a corporate interior project, making the difference between comfortable and complaining occupants, sustainability and excess energy consumption, and meeting versus exceeding the construction budget, to name just a few. The MEP engineer must meet the tenant’s goals while addressing the challenges of today’s dynamic design environment, where he or she is constantly confronted with new building codes, design tools, and technologies, all while meeting the architectural/interior design goals of the designer and supporting the construction manager.
Luckily, although the building code may change, the fundamentals of engineering success in the corporate interior market do not. Three keys to MEP engineering success for the corporate interior market worth remembering are:
- Understand the Building. The MEP design is not a blank slate; it is an extension of the “base building” systems, or a “fit-out.” These systems vary widely in the greater Boston market, in how they work, how much they cost to modify, and what environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, power, etc.) they can provide. Understanding the infrastructure and how the landlord operates the building is critical (as is helping the tenant to understand it). Similarly, the base building architecture will influence the MEP fit-out — high floor-to-floor heights may allow more equipment to be located above ceilings vs. equipment rooms, the type of envelope glazing will influence thermal and visual comfort, exposed utilities might be appropriate in a Boston Wharf building but not in a downtown tower, and so on.
- Understand the Tenant. The MEP engineer must guide the tenant through the sometimes bewildering range of MEP options — fan coils vs. fan boxes, LED lighting vs. compact fluorescent, is it worth pursuing utility rebates, etc. To do so, he or she must understand the tenant’s goals, and translate them into an MEP design that meets these goals. A sustainability or LEED goal might translate into a smart lighting system aided by utility rebates, coupled with chilled beams for HVAC efficiency. A resiliency goal might translate into an emergency generator — which should be right-sized to meet the real load, not over-sized based on unchecked assumptions. Maximizing comfort might mean more thermostats and HVAC equipment. Other possible tenant goals with MEP implications include minimizing first cost, using wireless controls, speeding the construction schedule, maintaining a low noise level, and accommodating future occupancy growth. When it comes to engineering successful systems, there is no substitute for understanding the tenant’s goals.
- Collaborate! Truly successful projects are always collaborative in spirit. Architectural/engineering collaboration helps ensure that the MEP engineering supports the interior design. Collaboration with the landlord should not be forgotten — the landlord often has key insights and experience about how to make the fit-out engineering work smoothly with the base building. Do not overlook this resource! Similarly, it is important that the MEP engineer and LEED administrator (if different) meet early and often, to make sure the LEED goals are translated into tangible MEP (and architectural) strategies. Owner’s project managers and cost estimators can provide valuable insight on tenant goals and budget, helping to avoid the need for schedule-busting late stage value engineering. And don’t forget about the construction manager — incorporating their feedback into the MEP engineering can make the tenant, landlord, and construction team’s lives much more pleasant by improving schedule, reducing disruption to adjacent tenants, enabling more efficient construction phasing, reducing cost, and incorporating valuable insights from the field into the design.
By focusing on these fundamentals, we, the MEP engineering community, can make sure our clients are getting the engineering they deserve — engineering that supports their architectural vision, meets their goals, and makes their environments safe, comfortable, sustainable, and productive.
Alex Vanderweil, PE, LEED AP BD+C, is a principal at R.G. Vanderweil Engineers, LLP in Boston.
