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The Proficient Engineering Blog

Offering insights on all things MEP design

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We tell it like it is.

Get advice and insights on MEP design and engineering straight from our leadership team. We’ve seen a lot, and these blogs draw on decades of industry experience.

Stormwater Drainage Systems

Facts that every building designer, owner, and contractor should know Introduction Why should we talk about stormwater drainage? Well, in short, water is heavy. A building’s stormwater drainage system must be designed to drain all rainwater from a building’s roof … Read more

How to Choose the Best HVAC Office Design

For too many years our AEC industry has relied on past experience to continue to design and install systems for offices that are grossly less efficient than current HVAC systems that are available at similar or less of the cost. … Read more

Fire Ratings: Do You Need One?

Introduction This blog will attempt to answer the age-old question “Does this electrical room need to be fire rated?”.  Well, we are here to clear the air with an emphatic….maybe.  Electrical rooms in and of themselves do not require fire ratings because they are labeled … Read more

Demystifying LEED Certification: A Guide for MEP Engineers

How Sustainable Design Principles Shape Energy-Efficient, High-Performance Buildings Introduction What is LEED certification and why do we as engineers pursue it? As seen in Figure 1, LEED-certified buildings are constructed to be energy efficient, sustainable designs with lower operating costs … Read more

Let’s Talk About BIM Baby

Introduction We all know or have heard of the fancy work that BIM (or Building Information Modeling) can produce, but what is it really? Essentially, it is the power of information and the database behind the model/drawings of buildings. When … Read more

What is a Voltage Drop?

Introduction What is a voltage drop and how does it play a crucial role in the electrical design process of a building? Throughout this blog, we will provide answers to these questions and discuss why it is important for engineers … Read more

The Value of Air Economizers

Air economizers are required by the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), yet their impact and value are somewhat abstract at first thought. How much energy and money do they actually save? Do economizers operate enough during the year to be … Read more

Multi-Family HVAC Systems Comparison

Packages (PTACs & VTACs) or Split Direct Expansion (DX) Air Conditioning System with Electric Heat: Each residential unit will be served by individual air conditioning unit with electric heating coil. In the case of using split systems, fan coil units … Read more

Plumbing Site Surveys

Capturing the Hidden Details for Clearer Design Plans Documenting the existing plumbing systems on a site visit can be challenging because much of the systems will not be readily visible. However, the more information that is well documented on plan … Read more
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We’ve been called a lot of things ~ Experienced, easy to work with, and proactive are a few of our favorites.

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Proficient was one step ahead. They knew exactly what to do and made things a lot faster and easier for me. I would absolutely use Proficient again because of how smoothly things went, their ability to meet deadlines, and how flexible the team was with adapting the system’s designs and plans to the owner’s needs.

Nicole Seekely

Owner

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Proficient’s ability to respond quickly with economical solutions has enabled us to complete projects on the always-urgent timelines.

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Vice President

Sheffer & Grant Architects

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Proficient is not just on time and on budget but the work has directly impacted our residents. We’re focusing on end users and having real discussions about what works instead of just pumping out work and checking boxes to get a job done. They’re doing things that nobody else is. A revolution with higher level engineering design in the senior housing space is about to hit and Proficient has opened my eyes to new opportunities that I couldn’t have dreamed of. There has been true collaboration and innovation between Proficient and LifeBUILT. I can now better serve the senior community. My client and the residents love the results and our investors, contractors and designers are very happy.

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Partner

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