MEP Engineering, Inc. served as the Prime Consultant on this TFC 20-21DM project to implement additional deferred maintenance upgrades at the Brown-Heatly State Office Building, now home to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).  The project scope included the development of a multidiscipline facility assessment report to identify existing building maintenance deficiencies and prioritize recommendations and corrective actions.

Major scope of work items for the project design included replacement of 191 VAV air terminals across three levels, new chilled water, condenser water and heating water pumps, new domestic water booster pumps, new roofing and building envelope upgrades, replacement of all life safety fans, restroom and locker room plumbing and architectural finish upgrades, redesign of select fire sprinkler piping, and new fire pumps.

Project Title: Brown-Heatly Building 18-19 DM Upgrades (Phase 2)

Project Location: Austin, Texas

Owner:  The State of Texas

Project Size: 258,915 SF

Total Project Cost: $9,407,320

MEP Role: Prime Consultant

Services Provided:  Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing Engineering

MEP Engineering, Inc. served as the Prime Consultant on this TFC 18-19DM project to implement deferred maintenance upgrades at the Brown-Heatly State Office Building, now home to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).  The project scope included the development of a multidiscipline facility assessment report to identify existing building maintenance deficiencies and prioritize recommendations and corrective actions.

Major scope of work items for the project design included replacement of 27 central-station air handling units, 179 VAV air terminals across four floors, life safety control dampers throughout the building, and BAS controls upgrades for improved indoor air quality.  Interior architectural renovations were also designed to bring the main entrance vertical openings in compliance with current life safety codes.  Finally, this project also included minor deferred maintenance items at the adjacent Robert D. Moreton Building (RDM) and DSHS Services Building (DHSB).

Project Title: Brown-Heatly Building 18-19 DM Upgrades (Phase 1)

Project Location: Austin, Texas

Owner:  The State of Texas

Project Size: 258,915 SF

Total Project Cost: $12,873,688

MEP Role: Prime Consultant

Services Provided:  Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing Engineering

MEP Engineering, Inc. served as the prime consultant on this complete redesign of the existing 1,400-ton WPC central plant.  Located in the Texas Capital Complex, the William P. Clements State Office Building is home to several high-profile state agencies including the Office of the Attorney General.  This challenging project included removal of three existing chillers, and replacement with two new 750-ton high-efficiency centrifugal chillers.  The existing primary/secondary system consisted of five CHW pumps and three CW pumps with no redundancy.  MEP’s new design features a variable primary flow system requiring only three CHW pumps and three CW pumps, each with N+1 redundancy.   HVAC controls were completely upgraded to DDC, including chiller plant optimization controls for greatly improved plant efficiencies and variable flow condenser water pumping.  MEP provided detailed mechanical and electrical engineering guidance to facilitate temporary cooling equipment installation with minimal building downtime. Due to severe access constraints at the existing basement machine room, MEP’s innovative design approach called for disassembly and reassembly of both new chillers, after being carefully transported in pieces through a new floor penetration conveniently located above the existing chiller room.

Project Title:  William P. Clements Building (WBC) Tower Central Plant Improvements

Project Location:  Austin, Texas

Owner:  The State of Texas

Project Size:  473,338 SF

Total Project Cost:  $3,688,000

MEP Role:  Prime Consultant

Services Provided:  Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing

Built in 1935, this courthouse, located in Seguin, Texas, is the county seat of Guadalupe County. The project was focused on the renovation of the 21,000 square foot building, with a total cost of $4.5 million. The challenging aspects of this project included preservation of the historical landmark building, as well as the limited amount of space available for additional equipment that needed to be installed.

MEP Engineering, Inc. served as a subconsultant to Thorn Graves, and was responsible for design of:

• DX units with 90-total tons capacity
• Cooling system used a Variable Refrigerant Flow
• Basic plumbing updates
• LED lighting upgrades throughout the facility.

This project was completed in 2017.

Project Title:  Guadalupe County Courthouse Renovation

Project Location:  Seguin, Texas

Owner:  Guadalupe County

Project Size:  21,000 SF

Total Project Cost:  $4,463,000

MEP Role:  Subconsultant

Architect:  Thorn Graves

Services Provided:  Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing Engineering

MEP Engineering, Inc. served as the prime consultant on this deferred maintenance project to replace 421 VAV air terminals in Tower I (228,000 CFM total) of the W.P. Hobby (WPH) State Office Building.  MEP also implemented life safety upgrades including replacement of atrium smoke evacuation fans in Tower III, as well as upgrades/replacements of stairwell pressurization fans and return air fire/smoke dampers in Towers I, II, and III.  Critical improvements were applied to BAS building pressurization controls, and architectural ceiling upgrades were made inside the main public entrance lobby.  Prior to design, MEP developed a comprehensive facility assessment report and worked cooperatively with TFC and the CMR to recommend a logical scope of work within the assigned project budget.  The building remained continuously occupied through construction; all contractor overhead work (and MEP field observations) occurred during afterhours/off periods.  WPH was originally constructed as Republic Plaza, a private commercial office development, between 1982 and 1985.  The State of Texas acquired the site in 1990, and today it houses a wide variety of important agencies.

Project Title:  William P. Hobby Tower I, II, & III MEP Upgrades

Project Location:  Austin, Texas

Owner:  The State of Texas

Project Size:  149,275 SF

Total Project Cost:  $5,743,000

MEP Role:  Prime Consultant

Services Provided:  Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing

MEP Engineering, Inc. served as the Prime Consultant on this upgrade to the existing 1,000-ton REJ central plant.  Across from the State Capital, the Robert E. Johnson State Office Building provides critical support of the Texas Legislature, particularly during the biennial legislative sessions.  The project included replacement of the existing cooling towers, condenser water pumps, controls, and all condenser water piping.  A two-phase design implementation allowed for installation of temporary chiller equipment for reliable cooling throughout.  MEP also engineered upgrades to the backup cooling and electrical power systems, adding a new 120-ton air-cooled chiller and 300kW natural gas generator with ATS.  While not originally included in the project scope, MEP recommend implementation of these creative solutions to address several existing operational issues.  Four new stainless-steel cooling tower cells (1,000 GPM each) were installed on an elevated structural steel platform, allowing for improved maintenance access and N+1 redundancy.  Five new CW pumps and two new CHW pumps were installed in a reduced footprint arrangement.  New DDC controls were installed to serve all new equipment.  Finally, the existing central plant roof was removed and replaced as part of a completely new roof level MEP equipment layout.

Project Title:  Robert E. Johnson (REJ) Central Plant Improvements

Project Location:  Austin, Texas

Owner:  The State of Texas

Project Size:  307,090 SF

Total Project Cost:  $4,170,000

MEP Role:  Prime Consultant

Services Provided:  Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing

MEP Engineering, Inc. served as the Prime Consultant on this project to upgrade to the existing central plant on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s North Austin campus. The scope included upgrading the central plant’s existing HVAC equipment including replacement of the thermal energy storage system, air-cooled chiller, cooling tower, CW & CHW piping and pumps, and heating water boiler.

Project Title:  TCEQ Building A Central Plant Upgrades

Project Location:  Austin, Texas

Owner:  The State of Texas

Project Size:  196,000 SF

Total Project Cost:  $1,573,000

MEP Role:  Prime Consultant

Services Provided:  Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing

This $4.175 million project was an adaptive reuse and remodel of a library and community center into a 22,000 square foot community center.  Located in Pleasanton, Texas, this facility is a prominent part of the downtown area, and a showpiece for the town. It includes a veteran memorial and an outdoor courtyard.

The interior of the center has a full service kitchen, which is used for community events or can be rented out for private events. MEP Engineering, Inc. designed the dedicated DX outside air units (100-tons total) with gas furnace heating, the domestic hot and cold water systems, sanitation systems, a grease waste system, kitchen, and a new energy efficient lighting system with multiple AV modes.

Project Title:  Pleasanton Library and Community Center

Project Location:  Pleasanton, Texas

Owner:  City of Pleasanton

Project Size:  22,000 SF

Total Project Cost:  $4,175,000

MEP Role:  Subconsultant

Architect:  RVK Architects

Services Provided:  Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing Engineering

MEP Engineering, Inc. served as a subconsultant to RVK Architects for this addition and renovation of the 50,000 square foot civic/convention center combination, located in the heart of downtown New Braunfels. The newly renovated building serves as a gathering space, as well as a exhibition center for the town.

According to playinnewbraunfels.com, the civic center is “50,000+ square feet of newly renovated, modernly updated meeting and event space. The airy, Hill Country architecture and harmonious design create a welcoming environment that almost disguises the facility’s form-meets-function practicality. The versatile setting is perfect for everything from industry conventions to breathtaking weddings. The event and meeting spaces include a column-free exhibit hall (11,780 sq. ft.), a beautiful ballroom (9,288 sq. ft.), five flexible garden rooms, and a secluded courtyard, featuring lush landscaping which provides the perfect area for meeting breaks and extends the overall space.

The facility includes wireless internet and all state-of-the-art equipment and technology you could need for a dynamic, highly memorable presentation. At the New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center, out-of-town groups have the luxury of coming to the lush Hill Country where Texans go for vacation.”

MEP provided full M|E|P design and construction administration services for the this project.

Project Title:  New Braunfels Civic Center

Project Location:  New Braunfels, Texas

Owner:  City of New Braunfels

Project Size:  50,000 SF

Total Project Cost:  —

MEP Role:  Subconsultant

Architect:  RVK Architects

Services Provided:  Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing Engineering

The Alamodome is a multipurpose facility, located in the heart of San Antonio, Texas. This renovation included major technological upgrades, expansion of the east and west concourses, upgrades to the locker rooms, a new space designed for press conferences or post game interviews, etc. Project Control of Texas, who was commissioned by the City of San Antonio to provide staff augmentation for review of the design and observation of construction, contracted MEP Engineering, Inc. for this project.

In this capacity, MEP Engineering, Inc. provided third party review of the M|E|P designs throughout the design development portion. As the project moved into construction, MEP provided full time on-site construction administration personnel to review the construction progress and provide additional interpretation of the design documents.

Project Title:  Alamodome Renovations

Project Location:  San Antonio, Texas

Owner:  City of San Antonio

Project Size:  42,600 SF

Total Project Cost:  $50,000,000

MEP Role:  Subconsultant

Architect:  Marmon Mok & Poplous

Services Provided:  Consulting – Third Party Review