We are MEP Consulting Partners
Beyond traditional MEP
The process, workflows and software systems (The KIS Model) we employ allow us to comfortably do more with considerably less. In a world of backlogged emails and low quality information, we are purpose built for Responsiveness and Attention to Detail. We fully recognize an industry shift in expectations, increasingly driven by the new demands of Energy Codes, OPEX and technical project management.
We have proven success in tackling more lightweight projects at a single time, while taking on the technically challenging projects with comfort. It all boils down to how we view ourselves – namely, as a collaboration hub, much like a Google or GitHub. We automate as much as possible, talk incessantly about repetitive process waste with the goal of reducing total project overhead. Secondarily, we are obsessed with Communication – what is being talked about and how to disseminate it.
Our competitive advantages?
- We pick up the phone and answer emails – you rely on quick information from KIS, the same as we expect from our reps
- Quick turnaround – we typically kickoff a project within 24hrs and respond to City Comments in under a week
- Technical Quality – better site engagement, more collaboration among our teams to share relevant knowledge and build on QA
- We emphasize personal interaction and industry education to be good stewards to your budget choices and timeline
Because our process has automated most of the dead time associated with kickoffs, administration and even knowledge recall, we have more resources available to spend on the critical and meaningful endeavors: Site, Client and AHJ interaction. Because our desks are virtual, you will find our schedules to be open and flexible.
For lightweight projects, our minimum engagement fees are very competitive, and we lead other Texas Engineering firms in terms of field time – minimal fees and no nickel-and-diming. Every space is quirky, and a couple pictures don’t always flush them out. In the end, small should not translate to insignificant or not worth our time. To the contrary, we have deliberately made you worth our time.
For the large and technically challenging projects, our system is just what you need. Technical challenges, where function is prioritized over form require a strong technical driver – attentive to details at the Systems and Component Levels with vast Field experience, able to preempt failures of function or coordination, and provide you with a maintainable system. We tend to build very close working relationships with our reps, keep up to date on the new tech, and employ rich lessons learned and knowledge wiki frameworks for constant improvement. We expect to get phone calls from your developers and subs during bidding and construction and we’re there for you. Your timeline can’t wait days for your engineering team to pick up the phone and argue about extra fees. Our process has gotten rid of that nonsense.
Design+Build Partnerships
Some projects call for a design management strategy that addresses new challenges reaching beyond the traditional Design-Bid model, and even beyond the traditional separation of disciplines. The Design+Build philosophy is picking up project share as codes become more intricate and technology has prompted a rethinking of most Systems Engineering. This is where we excel as a consulting firm.
Our mix of MEP and Industrial Controls gives us a competitive advantage within many HVAC and Controls-related projects. Aging chemical and manufacturing facilities in the Houston Ship Channel. O&G Plants looking to redesign Ventilation systems. High traffic Schools and Institutional buildings throwing out taxpayer dollars. Restaurants and Refrigerated facilities needing a reduction in energy and water usage.
We are constantly building relationships and the experience throughout the construction sector to deliver on a range of Modernization and Efficiency projects.
Are you a Contractor or Developer looking for a capable, long-term MEP partner? Do you have a targeted idea that needs a team to back it? We would love to talk about your venture. We even have a few of our own.
Our goal is to provide you a simple interface to streamline technical collaboration with your Clients. Together, we can attack your projects from a unified front, giving you the confidence to offer Turnkey solutions for your clients.
All marketing aside, what you get from KIS as a partner is a simple and direct face-to-face relationship. We consider our clients to be partners – when you grow, we grow. Our in-house toolbox focuses as much on strategizing about sustainability and city permitting as design calculations.
We are the MEP component to your Turnkey Design+Build projects
SmartMEP Solutions
MEP Engineering is not our end game. We are positioning ourselves longer term to be Texas’ premiere MEP Solutions provider and the Smart MEP marketing reflects this agenda. The industry is going through some major shifts in methodology, materials and design philosophy. We have felt for a long time that the traditional Project Management structure ascribed to Developers and Architects is not going to keep up, and Engineering firms are not stepping up to fill the gap.
As a Solutions Provider we are continually evolving to provide a deeper level of Solutions Services collectively known as SmartMEP. We reach deep into our MEP, Controls and Business Consulting toolboxes to provide a more straightforward approach to different consulting services:
That which cannot be measured, cannot be improved Building design priorities have begun to change in the last decade – Increased efficiencies, advanced in materials and manufacturing, empirically-derived data, updated energy codes, plummeting automation costs, shifts in Utility and Construction costs.
This leaves many buildings with rising bottom lines, or a large opportunity cost for upgrades – especially specific-use, public and institutional buildings with high traffic and complex configurations. Aging hospitals and Schools are usually low-hanging fruit. We have some great partners who help us gather real-world data on your building. We look at things like equipment specifications and configuration, building usage factors and process duty cycles, controls utilization, building envelope analysis, Utility plans and agreements.
We provide a detailed report, sealed by Professional Engineers, addressing both means and relative cost estimates to help you reduce your Water and Electricity usage, backed by real data.
Our own Business Model is a proven methodology to run technical projects , if Silicon Valley is any indication. The cultural changes required to implement these agile and lean methodologies are not intuitive, though. From one firm to another (whether Architectural, Structural, or even MEP) we can help you build more effective workflows. We will work within your culture as an integrated design team and Process consultant. We call it Team Within a Team.
It starts with building a small team within your organization – a mix of your team and ours, ideally going after a unique market sector or project type. Our fees are based on the work scope of our members during the integration and the future revenue streams of your group. Unlike a pure business consultant though, our work scope is directly applied towards revenue-producing activities: Project Management, Engineering Design, Site work and IT administration.
Sophisticated projects sometimes needs a technical steward who understands the balance between Owners’ expectations, Engineering Design, and Construction Practices. For LEED projects, this role is taken up by a certified Commissioning Agent (CXA, etc.). We have partners as part of our team who are certified Commissioning Agents with experience in mission critical applications such as Data Centers. Our Team is currently working towards building our own team of CXA’s.
Even in non-critical applications, the design of purpose-built spaces might not provide the best OPEX/CAPEX balance of building materials or controls components. Contractors’ understanding of an Engineer’s design might not easily translate into the as-built configuration.
We can provide such services on any manner of projects which are not mission critical or LEED-certified as well. Our team can work with yours from the Pre-Design phase to guide the initial technical requirements and expectations of the overall design. As Design commences and drawings go out to bid, we help you sort out the details – Is the Engineering and Architectural specifications being matched to both your requirements and the Contractors’ choice of equipment.
Our alternate personality has spent a lot of time designing sophisticated machinery and Automation interfaces in the Industrial world and we are actively building our skill set in the Commercial world.
While we aren’t tooled up yet to design a hospital system, we are adept with things such as Pump Systems, Automated dampers, and Networking. We are available to ride the line between the overhead of the major controls firms, and Contractors with only a cursory technical expertise in complex Automation.
Multi-Family Water-Cooled Plants, building-wide BACnet setup, Heat Exchange systems, HVAC systems with sophisticated timing requirements and building centralized displays. We focus on functionality first and maintenance, arming your technicians with the systems and interfaces to quickly troubleshoot, fix and replace. We can couple the controls design of your system with our MEP services to help you protect your bottom line all the way through your project.