Writer: Joshua Andino
2 min read August 2022 — In the wake of the pandemic, typically-out-of-sight building systems such as air conditioning and filtration took on greater importance in building designs, highlighting the role of the often unsung but key players in the construction process: design engineers.
Buildings are usually lauded for their aesthetic value or the size of the real estate deals and development contracts that facilitated their construction. Recognition for the complexity of a building’s electrical systems or efficiency of its ventilation systems typically remains in the realm of environmental certification programs or construction industry reports. Nevertheless, buildings (and the wider industry) are becoming increasingly complex, and the work of design engineers, who create the systems that keep the lights on and the building cool, has become increasingly critical as the industry continues to evolve.
Brock Shrader, vice president of Tampa-based design engineering firm Wilson & Girgenti (WG), explained to Invest: that there are a variety of considerations that have to be made on any given project. “Our designs are customized for different occupancy types, including their specific power requirements, A/C tonnages and controls, life safety concerns, water usage, humidity levels, and more. For example, we recently designed for a cannabis gummy manufacturer. The manufacturing building itself requires extremely low humidity points. Meanwhile, the company’s office space requires standard humidity levels, and its cannabis plant grow house requires very high humidity levels–all of which can occur if designed properly. Another example is a restaurant where the owner wants to be able to open their partitions to the outside, which requires a wide range of capacity and humidity control from being closed to open.”
While not always apparent to the end user, the complexity of these systems requires expertise in addition to what a general contractor provides. Electrical distribution, ventilation and humidity control, sprinkler systems, even the amount of rain on a rooftop or, particularly in Florida, the salt in the ocean breeze, are all considerations that can cause problems to owners and users alike. The complexity of these systems may put off developers who are looking to get construction started as quickly as they can, as supply chain constraints increase lead times and the final cost of a project. Despite the rush, however, not involving design engineers early on can lead to even costlier mistakes down the road, said WG President Joe Girgenti.
“Fitting robust systems into architecturally beautiful spaces requires thorough knowledge of architectural and structural elements and excessive coordination. These buildings are inherently complicated–and not involving engineers early frequently leads to surprises and issues later in design and construction,” Girgenti told Invest:.
The complexity of the work and the need for experienced design engineers appears in almost every construction project. Historic buildings composed of brick and mortar to new towers of glass and steel both require sophisticated structural and electrical work, HVAC considerations and other specialized designs. Data centers, the critical piece of digital infrastructure that can host thousands of servers and store hundreds of petabytes of data, require specific designs to prevent outright failure and keep operations online. Electrical engineers, with specialized know-how of redundancies and the interplay of electrical systems are the ones best suited to design those systems.
The repurposing of the Perfecto Garcia Cigar Factory in Tampa’s Ybor City provides another example. The old factory building from 1914 comes with open spaces, no air conditioning or fire sprinklers and minimal power and plumbing. To convert the structure into a fully air-conditioned apartment complex with fire sprinklers that meets all of today’s regulations requires an understanding of the electrical and mechanical systems that are both expected and required for modern construction, as well as a firm grasp of what a 100-year-old building can accommodate. “It tested our depth of design knowledge, coordination, and execution,” said Girgenti.
The challenges of design engineering in the construction process can be frustrating but necessary and helps to make projects safer, easier to build and economically viable. While the systems may themselves be out of sight, they are key components to any building. “The earlier we are involved, the better impact we can make for a successful goal,” said Thomas Megani, structural principal at WG.
For Girgenti, developing his firm’s relationships with clients is also key to helping them deliver the best product, whatever that may be, emphasizing that design-engineering firms should work to understand the timelines and goals of clients. “We at WG strive to go beyond the technical aspects of our system designs and become true consultants to our customers early on without overcomplicating things, but still steering clear of significant potholes. We strive to think like our customers in order to accomplish what they want to accomplish.”
For more information, please visit:
www.workwithwg.com
