Retail design comprises a large portion of our work portfolio. In fact, it’s occupied a sizeable percentage since the very inception of VP Engineering. We’ve designed across the entire retail spectrum over the past 15 years and have subsequently witnessed the rise of several retail trends from big-box power centers and the advent of discount […]
Category: MEP Consultant
Let Them Down Easy: The Art of Saying “No” by Saying “Yes”
In our 15 years as a Charlotte-based MEP design firm, we’ve come to learn and appreciate how truly critical flexibility is to our success. It’s why we go out of our way to accommodate changes in a project’s scope, budget and timeline, even if that means shaving our fees, working late or rolling that extra […]
Helping Clients Evaluate Their Needs
As a design engineer, it is tempting to provide the most sophisticated, energy efficient systems for every project. As a consultant, we need to provide what the client needs. Often, the client does not know what they need, and that’s why they pay us. Here are three questions to ask when helping a client evaluate […]
Does Your Building Have a “We” Space?
When the general public became familiar with the internet in the early 1990’s, change seemed inevitable. What no one knew was how granular and ubiquitous those changes would become. A prime example of this is social media. Through Facebook and Twitter (and countless other sites), we can tell the world as much or as little […]
Is your MEP consultant covering everything you need?
Engineers are known for their innate problem solving skills, particularly their technical problem solving skills. We have the ability to tune out all background noise and focus like a laser on the issue at hand. We hammer away at the problem until it’s solved, then smile at our own ingenuity and bask in the warm […]
Engineers: Here’s How to Avoid Those Common Communication Mistakes
Humans have a broad and rich communication skill set which no other species comes close to matching. This allows rapid and rich information transfer and conveyance of concrete and abstract ideas. Verbal cues like inflection, tone, and speed allow people to express intent as well as concept. Body language like stance, posture, and foot position […]
10 Traits That Take MEP Engineers From Good to Great
In our industry we come across many different types of people. Some are easy going while others are rather difficult to work with. A hallmark of a consummate professional is being able to tactfully work with all these different types of folks. There are certain characteristics that people possess which set them aside from the […]