Partnering With Other Firms as a MEP Engineering Consultant

Our mechanical, electrical, and plumbing team’s skills and expertise have contributed greatly to the success of SHP projects in our education, workplace, and community studios. You may not know that the team also partners with other architecture firms throughout the region as an engineering consultant, enabling us to expand our portfolio independently of SHP-led projects. This has led to our team’s diverse and specialized expertise in entertainment (theme parks) and banking sectors. By working on project types outside of SHP’s wheelhouse, we can avoid conflicts of interest and build trust with all our industry partners. The relationships we have fostered have resulted in a national footprint of projects.

Balancing Efficiency and Aesthetics

Operating as an engineering consultant to an outside architect requires us to balance creativity, technical requirements, and the owner’s budget. We work to provide value while maintaining quality, ensuring that the owner’s investment is used efficiently and wisely. Efficiency begins on day one. “Every project starts with a good site visit, especially on national sites”, says Director of Engineering Jacob Faiola. Our team utilizes this first site visit to capture as much information as possible. This includes thorough fieldwork, assessment, and field investigation, often in one day, to maximize the efficiency of the project budget. 

Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is another important tool in our process. LCCA helps us strike the right balance between innovative designs and practical implementation, ensuring that we’re mindful of long-term value while respecting the immediate financial constraints of a project. Our approach also establishes clear, consistent communication with all parties, keeping the design team aligned and enabling us to address issues before they escalate.

The Name of the Game: Flexibility and Versatility

Every project brings its own set of unique engineering challenges, whether it’s an educational facility, a bank, or a theme park project. Hence, as an engineering consultant, it is crucial for us to be flexible and adaptable to identify a variety of solutions for every environment. We thrive on this, as it enables us to showcase our versatility. Each client has different working styles, needs, and standards, so we make it a priority to adjust our processes accordingly. For example, we work in several different programs for modeling and construction documentation, collaborating closely with our architectural partners to ensure that their vision is honored while integrating our technical expertise to meet the practical requirements of the project.