Dubai, UAE, 18 September 2018: One big change in the MEP industry today is the reliance on Building Information Modelling (BIM), said Darrel Strobel, Managing Director MEP Engineering, KEO International Consultants. He said, “BIM provides contractors with free and integrated 3D models of buildings, which helps them in construction.” At bid stage, Strobel said, most Requests for Proposals (RFPs) require consultants to state their charges according to the environmental targets outlined for the specific project. However, highlighting a trend today, he said that MEP consultants are finding ways to deliver sophisticated designs at a low price point, which is a rising concern as some of the designs prepared are not sustainable.

Darrel Strobel

“It is important for MEP consultants to understand the changes and advancements that emerge in the field before championing any new developments to clients as they are easily convinced to implement them in new projects,” Strobel said. When the concept of Green Buildings came into the market, he said, there were not many projects with designs that supported low energy consumption. Elaborating, Strobel said, “As government regulations were introduced, slowly, yet steadily, new projects began to follow designs that were energy efficient.”

Pointing to another emerging challenge, Strobel said: “In most developing countries, the building stock in a city is replaced at around 1% per year. In the Middle East, the percentage might be higher.” The real challenge today, he said, was for the government and building owners who are left with building stock designs, which used energy-consuming systems. He said: “These designs have little consideration for efficiency and sustainable design strategies. We therefore, need to find ways of applying current good design practices to our existing building stock.”