January 9, 2025 How MEP Engineers Design and Create Mixed-Use Buildings
The construction of a new building involves close collaboration between professionals like architects, contractors, and several types of engineers. An expert responsible for planning a building’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems is known as an MEP engineer.
MEP engineers perform in-depth design and documentation tasks for a building’s vital systems. These engineers are also essential coordinators, working with the entire team to help different systems fit together to form a whole.
In mixed-use building projects, MEP engineers face unique challenges. A mixed-use building brings together different land uses, such as housing and commerce, under one roof. For engineers, that means the most demanding aspects of different building types are all rolled into a single project. It’s a challenging undertaking, but also an opportunity to create innovative, efficient buildings that help build vibrant communities.
Let’s explore the reasons behind the growing demand for mixed-use buildings, and see how MEP engineers bring these projects to life.
The Benefits of Mixed-Use Development
“Mixed-use” is an urban development classification that may refer to a single building, a multi-building development, or a zoning district. In a mixed-use space, more than one occupancy type is accommodated. These may include residential, commercial, industrial, and entertainment uses.
Often, mixed-use buildings contain a public-facing use at the ground level, such as a store, with residential units on the upper floors.
Bringing together land uses that would otherwise be geographically separated can lead to a number of social, economic, and environmental benefits. These include:
- Efficient use of space
- Walkable access to local businesses for residents
- Built-in customer bases for businesses
- Promotion of community engagement and social connectivity
- Reduced need for daily car use
Mixed-use developments are often designed in accordance with community plans, such as a city’s general plan. In many cases, mixed-use buildings are based on a vision of community cohesion and sustainability. Points of emphasis often include benefits such as urban beautification, accessibility, and energy efficiency.
MEP Focus Areas for Mixed-Use Buildings
For mixed-use buildings, MEP engineers must account for the various demands of multiple land uses, along with special regulatory and social considerations. Here are a few key MEP focus areas for mixed-use development.
Designing for Multiple Occupancy Types
Designing a building for multiple occupancy types is a challenge for every aspect of planning and construction. For example, an apartment building and a commercial space would typically have different exterior aesthetics, parking accommodations, electrical connections, and so on—every major design aspect would differ.
In a mixed-use building, architects and engineers must determine solutions that effectively and efficiently serve each of the building’s uses.
For MEP engineers, mixed-use building design involves tailoring solutions for each part of the structure. This includes estimating the demand and stressors for electrical supply, water supply, and sewage. Design goals include built-in redundancy to minimize service disruptions while ensuring safety, regulatory compliance, and cost efficiency.
Navigating Zoning Requirements and Code Compliance
Around the US, mixed-use zoning is on the rise. In many cities, these zoning districts are used to address housing shortages, revitalize downtowns, and concentrate development around transit centers.
While mixed-use zoning is flexible in nature, the urban planning processes are complicated. Mixed-use zones are sometimes very small, meaning that a limited number of real estate options are available for developers. Then, the project may need to be significantly modified to fit the requirements of the zone, such as including a certain minimum number of housing units.
Code compliance is another challenging area for mixed-use development. Municipal codes, building codes, and other applicable sets of rules lay out requirements for new construction based on the building’s intended use. For mixed-use development, that often means that a long list of regulations must be followed, either throughout the entire building or within its various use areas.
For example, the residential portion of a mixed-use building may need to comply with certain noise control measures and energy efficiency standards, while a ground-floor commercial use may have stricter standards for electrical safety and plumbing capacity. To navigate this complexity, code compliance expertise is a critical skill for MEP engineers. The ideal mixed-use development plan meets all applicable code requirements while using resources efficiently and avoiding drawn-out permitting processes.
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Integration
Mixed-use buildings have high utility demands, thanks to the combination of full-time residential activity plus commercial uses with peak demands during business hours. Thus, energy efficiency, water conservation, and renewable energy integration are often prioritized by mixed-use developers.
To meet mixed-use occupancy demands efficiently, MEP engineers incorporate measures such as:
- Energy-conserving appliances and lighting
- Water-saving plumbing fixtures
- Smart systems to automate energy conservation
- Solar energy
These practices ensure redundancy, reduce costs, and make mixed-use buildings more environmentally friendly. Innovative designers who are particularly committed to efficiency may incorporate additional measures, such as green building materials, graywater recycling, or rainwater harvesting for landscape irrigation.
KMB Design Group: The Innovative MEP Consulting Partner for Your Mixed-Use Project
MEP engineers are experts at making different parts of a project fit together. In construction projects that combine land uses within a single building, MEP expertise is particularly crucial.
Meeting a mixed-use building’s varying needs for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems requires meticulous planning and skillful execution. That’s why it’s essential to work with an experienced, innovative MEP partner from day one.
At KMB Design Group, we’re a full-service engineering solutions provider and a leading provider of MEP consulting services. To discuss your next mixed-use project with one of our experts, contact KMB today.