Smart and Creative Solutions for Your Project

A Message From Principal Chris Sims, P.E.

I have a son who took a school trip to Washington, D.C., during which he visited the International Spy Museum. As a souvenir, he brought home a shirt that said:

I was never here.
International Spy Museum, Washington D.C.

That sums up our design philosophy as an MEP consulting firm. We work closely with architects and owners who create spaces of beauty and function. Our job is to enhance the public experience in every building we design, so the end user doesn’t notice they have interacted with one of our systems.

At times this requires a well-known solution that is relatively obvious, and other times it requires some forethought and creativity. Perhaps contrary to popular opinion, the phrase “creativity” is referenced in the practice of engineering. Our clients are superbly creative at designing beautiful spaces, and in order to complement what they are doing, we need to be creative as well. Check out our projects that highlight times where we were faced with challenges that we had to use creativity to overcome. If you have a building design that needs some “out of the box” thinking, we hope to put our creativity to work for you.

Design Philosophy

Each building and owner are unique, with different needs and conditions. We are committed to providing our clients with the best MEP design for their projects. We approach every job with a focus on the client. This includes building function, owner budget, architectural style/aesthetics, and contractor understanding of the project.

We pride ourselves on developing creative solutions tailored to the Client’s specific needs. We have been successful in designing unique and innovative solutions since 2007.

We bring our experience, creativity, and expertise to every project because engineering is a blend of science and art.

We work for a higher purpose.

We believe that strong families are important. We create an environment where work enhances the family experience rather than hindering it.

Kindness, humility, patience, and flexibility are in every interaction with our clients, partners, and team members. Caring for one another is of utmost importance.

We are continually learning, growing in wisdom, and sharing that wisdom with others.

What we do

MEP Design
Design/Build
Feasibility Studies
Forensics
LEED certification

In these industries:

Work Process - let’s bring your vision to life

Building Function

We consider the type of building and what type of activities will take place within the building as well as what type of owner will be operating the building. Our goal in considering this information is to strike a balance between how much complexity is needed within a building MEP system versus the owner’s tolerance or ability to deal with such complexities. Ideally, we would like to find the simplest system that the particular owner is willing to operate that still accomplishes everything the owner wants to do or will want to do in the future within the building.

Owner Budget

Early in the project planning phase, we consider how much the owner can afford to spend on a project. We do this in order to have any tough conversations up-front in the project timeline about any discrepancies between what the owner would like their MEP systems to do versus what they can afford for their MEP systems to do. The goal is to give the owner valuable information up-front in order to help them decide whether the correct solution is to adjust their budget or cancel the project. As much as we do not like seeing a project being cancelled, we dislike wasting the owner’s money on unnecessary design fees even more.

Architectural Style

We work with the architect to understand the style they have chosen and why they have chosen it. Often, the owner has communicated extensively about the way they want their building to look with an architect who has chosen a style based on this communication. Other times, the owner chooses an architect because they like the style of what they have done in the past. The goal is to fit our system within their style and, on some occasions, point out options that can enhance their vision.

Contractor Understanding

We think very highly of contractors and their ability to create beautiful buildings that match an architect’s vision. We always keep in mind that one of the most import functions we perform is communicating in a way that is easily understood by the contractors in the field who are building our design. The goal is to communicate succinctly and clearly to someone who may not have much formal training in what we do but who is immensely talented at what they do.

testimonials

"I can't say enough about the C3 Consulting Engineers team. We enjoy working with them. They have consistently stayed the course with us on several difficult projects this past year. We are very thankful and look forward to working with them going forward."

"Chris and Will were a pleasure to work with and were able to help deliver the project in a timely manner. I look forward to working with them on the next project."

"Chris was always available to coordinate and discuss complex issues on large and small scales throughout the construction document process. His in-depth knowledge of MEP engineering and devices is a huge advantage to have when working on fast paced projects. Working with Chris Sims was truly a great experience, and I can recommend him and his team to anyone looking for quality engineers that are willing to go above and beyond to meet the project needs."  

"JRAF Studio has been working with C3 Consulting Engineers since 2014 and appreciate their continued approach to collaboration.  Our projects have been successful because Sims works toward efficient, cost-effective solutions that don't compromise the architectural design intent."

"Chris and I have worked on many projects together over the last few years.  He has become an asset to my business through his engineering expertise of course, but also, the ease at which we are able to work together, greatly increases the efficiency of project delivery.  Having worked alongside Chris, I have had the opportunity to get to know him professionally, as well as personally, he pursues everything with integrity.  He would be a valuable partner for any business looking for a knowledgeable, capable MEP engineer."  

Smart and Creative Solutions for Your Project

A Message From Principal Chris Sims, P.E.

I was never here. International Spy Museum, Washington D.C.

Design Philosophy

We work for a higher purpose.

What we do

MEP Design

Design/Build

Feasibility Studies

Forensics

LEED certification