Residential & Multi-Family
Multi-family lives or dies on repetition done right. We deliver construction-ready MEP with stacked, riser-disciplined systems that keep the field predictable, hold unit ventilation to ASHRAE 62.2, meet local electrification and EV ordinances, and support efficient operation over the life of the asset — coordinated with your team and sealed by the licensed engineer of record on your project.
Hundreds of Units, One Coordinated System.
One unit designed well multiplies across the building, and one mistake does too. We design the typical unit and the typical stack once, then check the repeat: riser diagrams that resolve from level to level, panel schedules that repeat where layouts and loads match, and compartmentalization details the field can actually build 200 times.
HVAC & Unit Ventilation
Unit-level comfort and code-mandated fresh air that multiply cleanly across the building.
- Room-by-room Manual J loads, Manual S equipment selection, and Manual D duct design where appropriate, with whole-unit ventilation to ASHRAE 62.2, and common areas to ASHRAE 62.1
- Heat-pump and split-system selections aligned with local electrification ordinances
- Compartmentalization and unit air-sealing to limit air leakage between dwellings
- Corridor make-up air and pressurization tied to the unit ventilation strategy
- Enclosed-garage exhaust with CO/NO2 detection per the IMC and fan staging per the energy code
- Code-routed dryer and bath exhaust with transfer-air and acoustic separation away from bedrooms
Electrical & Power
Service, metering, and EV capacity sized to the ordinance — not guessed.
- Service and feeder calculations per NEC Article 220 (standard or optional method)
- Meter stacks, house panels, and dwelling-unit load diversity
- EV-ready, EV-capable, and EVSE-installed stall counts per local ordinance and the applicable IECC EV provisions where adopted
- Elevator, trash-compactor, amenity, and house loads captured in the service calculation
- Electric-ready provisions for future appliance electrification where mandated
- Corridor, stairwell, and common-area egress and emergency lighting with code-compliant controls
Plumbing & Domestic Hot Water
Risers and hot water that perform at the farthest unit and the worst-case morning.
- Stacked DWV and supply risers engineered once for predictable, repeatable construction
- Recirculated domestic hot water balanced so the farthest unit isn't the coldest shower
- Central plant sizing — gas, condensing, or central heat-pump water heating (CHPWH)
- Water demand by the adopted fixture-unit method, and gas demand from appliance input ratings per the fuel gas code
- Per-unit submetering strategies for cost recovery
- Storm and sanitary collection coordinated through the podium transfer
Fire-Protection Coordination & Life Safety
Sprinkler basis matched to the construction type and height, not assumed.
- NFPA 13R vs. NFPA 13 basis checked against the adopted IBC's story, height, and fire-department-access limits
- Standpipe and fire-pump coordination for mid- and high-rise
- Concealed-space and balcony sprinkler coverage coordinated per the IBC
- Fire-alarm and smoke-control pathway coordination across disciplines
- Garage and below-podium areas coordinated for full NFPA 13 coverage
Repetition & Coordination
Repeatable details that can cut field labor and change orders.
- Repeated unit types engineered once and stacked floor to floor
- BIM coordination across stacked risers and the podium transfer level
- Acoustic isolation routing equipment and waste paths away from bedrooms
- Electrification and EV readiness aligned with local ordinances
- Clear riser and chase coordination so trades build the same thing from floor to floor
Energy Code & Testing
Occupancy, height, adopted code, and amendments determine the energy compliance and testing path.
- Residential or commercial energy-code path set by occupancy and stories above grade plane — IECC residential (REScheck) for Group R-2 up to three stories, commercial provisions or ASHRAE 90.1 (COMcheck) from four
- Dwelling-unit air-leakage testing (residential provisions, or 2021 IECC C402.5.2 where the commercial IECC provisions apply) and duct-leakage testing carried into the documents where required
- Ventilation fan efficacy and heat- or energy-recovery options evaluated against the compliance path
- Envelope, mechanical, service-water-heating, and lighting compliance documentation aligned with the drawings
- State amendments and stretch codes confirmed at kickoff
Through stacked risers and repeated unit types: one unit designed well multiplies across the building, which can cut field labor and change orders. We engineer the repeatable details once — supply and DWV risers, unit HVAC, panel layouts — and coordinate them in BIM through the podium transfer so the crews build the same thing from floor to floor.
Yes. We design EV-ready, EV-capable, and EVSE-installed stall counts to your local ordinance and the applicable IECC EV provisions where adopted, then size the service per NEC Article 220 to actually carry them. Where electrification rules apply, we provide heat-pump-ready and electric-ready provisions to support planned appliance electrification within the documented service and utility capacity.
Per NEC Article 220, using the standard method, or the optional method of NEC 220.84 where the dwelling units qualify. We carry dwelling-unit diversity plus the amenity, elevator, trash-compactor, and house loads into the calculation, so the service reflects how the building is actually used — with the headroom the EV and electrification ordinances demand documented in the basis of design for the licensed engineer of record on your project.
We design whole-unit mechanical ventilation to ASHRAE 62.2 with local exhaust at kitchens, baths, and laundry, and we specify compartmentalization to limit air leakage between dwellings and from corridors and garages. Acoustic separation drives equipment placement and duct routing from the start, keeping fan and waste-stack noise paths away from bedrooms and quiet spaces.
Yes, and getting it right early matters. The fire-protection engineer of record designs the sprinkler system; we check the basis against the story, height, and fire-department-access limits of the adopted IBC, including how that edition counts stories on podium buildings: NFPA 13R can apply to qualifying Group R occupancies within those limits, while taller buildings and non-residential portions generally require full NFPA 13. We coordinate standpipes, fire-pump sizing, and concealed-space and balcony coverage with the architect and that engineer so the basis holds at plan review.
It turns on occupancy, height, and the adopted code. Under the IECC, Group R-2 buildings three stories or less above grade plane follow the residential provisions, typically documented in REScheck, while buildings of four stories and more follow the commercial provisions or ASHRAE 90.1, typically documented in COMcheck. Many states amend this, so we confirm the adopted edition and any stretch code at kickoff and carry the matching testing requirements — unit air leakage under the residential provisions or 2021 IECC C402.5.2, and duct leakage wherever the applicable residential or commercial provisions require it — into the documents. The licensed engineer of record on your project reviews and seals the set.