Engineering Insights: Expertise From Hoefer Welker's Senior Engineers

August 6 marks the National Society of Professional Engineers' annual celebration of professional engineers (PEs), and the vital work they conduct, delivering safe, ethical and skilled services. At Hoefer Welker, we extend our gratitude to our talented in-house mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering team each and every day as their impact touches nearly all of our projects. These efforts enable our firm’s capabilities to deliver exceptional, tailored solutions to our clients in a cost-effective, efficient manner. 

Our team is led by highly talented and tenured PEs, whose extensive expertise and diverse skill sets largely contribute to our success working on our wide range of projects across various market sectors. We recently asked these leaders for the key insights and wisdom they've acquired throughout their careers. 

Delve into the most rewarding aspects of their roles, discover valuable solutions and advice, and learn their strategies for fostering innovation and continuous professional growth.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your role as an engineer at Hoefer Welker, and why?

Seeing clients get what they need and want out of their building. The team is able to get in front of clients early in the project since engineering is in-house at Hoefer Welker. This enables our team to better understand their needs and wants in order to provide them with the best engineering solutions based on their budget.

What aspect of Hoefer Welker’s engineering services/solutions do you find the most useful for clients?

Eco-charrettes. An eco-charrette is a glorified “meeting” with the client where we go over their sustainability and engineering goals for their project. This meeting typically occurs before the schematic design phase so the engineering team can make informed decisions on MEP systems required for the project.

Reflecting on your professional journey, what's one piece of advice you'd offer to young professionals just starting their careers in engineering?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Everyone has a different journey, but most engineers in the industry are happy to help the next generation. So let them help you by asking as many questions as you can to become a more knowledgeable engineer.

How do you stay current with the latest advancements and technologies in the ever-evolving field of engineering?

Staying involved with organizations such as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, the American Society of Plumbing Engineers, Kansas City Area Healthcare Engineers and the Design-Build Institute of America has made it relatively easy to stay current on the new codes and technologies.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your role as an engineer at Hoefer Welker, and why?

I would say it has been getting to see how the architects operate and the kind of considerations and pressures they deal with on a daily basis. As an exterior consultant, it’s easy to miss many of the challenges they’re facing internally, and the relationship becomes more of an us-versus-them mentality. With our integrated team at Hoefer Welker, we’re able to work together from the start to gather an understanding of the “why” behind each step of the project. 

What aspect of Hoefer Welker’s engineering services/solutions do you find the most useful for clients? 

Our collaboration ensures that we’re able to help the architects consider our systems and challenges early in the design process, which avoids problems coming up later. In addition, because we’re all in-house, finger-pointing is limited as there’s no advantage to either of us throwing each other under the bus. That makes it more advantageous to problem-solve as quickly as possible instead of finding who to blame.

Reflecting on your professional journey, what's one piece of advice you'd offer to young professionals just starting their careers in engineering? 

Go out to lunch with someone new every week. It doesn’t matter if it’s in-house, out-of-house, contractors, clients, etc. Just get outside the office.

How do you stay current with the latest advancements and technologies in the ever-evolving field of engineering? 

I find vendors to be the most helpful for this as they provide us with continuing education unit opportunities, trade show information, travel opportunities and more. They also help us stay on top of general updates and changes by regularly presenting us with new products and ways to do things. Continuing education credits are also incredibly helpful even if you aren’t licensed.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your role as an engineer at Hoefer Welker, and why? 

The projects we work on are very cutting-edge, and that’s the best part of my job. Having engineering in-house makes these designs possible. Since our architecture and engineering teams are integrated, it’s easier to bounce ideas even before the project starts and come up with some amazing solutions. Ground Source Heat Pumps, Chiller Heaters, Variable Refrigerant Flow, Energy Recovery Ventilators, Desiccant Wheels, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Green Globes, WELL, you name it, we’ve done it!

What aspect of Hoefer Welker’s engineering services/solutions do you find the most useful for clients?

The eco-charrettes we offer are a unique way to come up with the best possible solutions tailored to a specific client. Our architecture, engineering, interior design and equipment planning teams can work together in an intensive design charrette with all project stakeholders to come up with solutions before the building design is finalized. This reduces redesign fees and ensures we are all focused on our clients’ exact needs from the very start.

Reflecting on your professional journey, what's one piece of advice you'd offer to young professionals just starting their careers in engineering? 

Get involved! Go to three different professional organizations and choose at least one to be actively involved in. Don’t just go to meetings; get on the board or ask how you can help. These boards are the fastest way to grow your network within the industry and to become known as an aspiring leader. Attending meetings is a great way to learn technical info, but getting involved is how you meet people.

How do you stay current with the latest advancements and technologies in the ever-evolving field of engineering?

Professional organizations and conferences are great resources to stay up to date on new and unique technologies. My personal favorite conference is Greenbuild. It’s full of innovation and new ways of thinking to solve old problems.

These insights are just a glimpse into the extensive work our dedicated team puts into providing the services that make Hoefer Welker a fully integrated architecture, interior design and engineering firm.