General
The services from the areas of planning and project supervision are compensated through architect and engineer services, which are carried out by various architects and specialist planning offices for the respective trades. These services are carried out as much as possible according to the client's preferences, as long as they prove realistic and feasible considering the financial budget and the recognized rules of technology. Both the architect and the engineer are those persons who are legally entitled to carry their professional titles (cf. Bschorr 2014: p. 9). Alternatively, specialist planners are also approved for various trades, who can demonstrate minimum requirements for specialist planning of a respective trade through alternative means, such as through a master craftsman title or completion as a state-certified technician. Regardless of the legal minimum qualification for professional suitability, the personal project and professional experience of individual architects or specialist planners plays a major role, which can have a significant impact on the error or success rate in project planning. The respective service providers in question are usually appointed at the discretion and assessment of the client, naturally also under the influence of
recommendation and reference evidence from previous projects of architects and
engineers.

The planning and project supervision of building architecture as well as the building submission for a
construction project is realized by at least one architect. For the additional
specialist planning trades such as electrical engineering, supply and disposal technology, building physics in construction or, for example, structural planning, additional
so-called specialist engineers or engineering or planning offices are commissioned. In practice, the architect emerges as a superior and representative spokesperson for all trades and integrates the planning documents prepared by the respective specialist engineers within the framework of the planning phases into his actual design and execution planning, in order to then be able to present these as a holistic work. In this process, all planning steps necessary for the correct implementation of the planning for each trade are typically specified according to the recognized fee schedule for architects and engineers. These typical services range from basic research to execution planning, tendering and award, project supervision during the construction phase and project support as well as defect management after completion of the construction project. The architects and engineers supervise the project either partially or over the entire project process from basic research to completion of the construction project, according to the client's wishes.

Building services engineering generally encompasses all building technology trades, including energy technology systems (such as electrical systems, gas and water systems or heat generation systems), systems for material disposal (such as wastewater systems, etc.) or also telecommunications systems (such as data networks, security technology, fire alarm technology, etc.).

Typical Planning Participants with Responsibilities

Architect:
Object planning regarding construction trades (cost group 300), for the purpose of
structural work, building construction trades including general coordination of specialist planning participants. The architect's focus is primarily on the conceptual / design (including technical interface concerns).

Engineers for Building Services Engineering (MEP):
Specialist planning services regarding building services trades, such as
sanitary, heating, HVAC technology, power systems, telecommunications,
fire alarm technology, fire suppression systems, elevator systems, building automation and other building technology trades.

Typically, several specialist engineers are required for MEP trades, as the specialist disciplines are classically divided as follows:
– Specialist engineer for heating, sanitary / supply technology
– Specialist engineer for HVAC technology
– Specialist engineer for electrical engineering / energy technology
– Specialist engineer for fire suppression systems

Further specialization within these specialist disciplines is also common and is coordinated internally by the engineering offices accordingly.

Civil Engineers for Structural Planning / Statics:
Specialist planning services regarding the structure, in terms of technical actual feasibility (focus on the technical aspect). Load-bearing capacity, foundation, static concerns in general and building physics aspects of construction technology in terms of structural work are the main tasks here.
Generally, this part is also to be counted as building physics.

Engineers for Building Physics (Sound Protection/Thermal Protection):
Specialist planning services in terms of thermal protection as well as sound protection in relation to the construction project, where the requirements and concepts for fulfilling building energy efficiency and sound protection requirements in general are examined, planned and continuously coordinated with the other specialist planning participants.
Also often given as contract packages "Sound Protection Expert" and "Energy Consultant".

Engineers for Structural Fire Protection:
Specialist engineering offices that plan and advance structural fire protection for the object, develop these in coordination with the fire department and other specialist planning participants (especially architects and MEP engineers) and finally present them in a testable manner. Here, fire sections, measures for building technology fire fighting, escape routes, etc. are processed and discussed with all participants. This concept ultimately ends up with the testing expert and is elementary for the so-called "Fire Protection 2".

Landscape Architects / Open Space Planners:
These specialist participants supervise the outdoor and open space planning during the planning phase, such as: playgrounds, gardens, courtyards, driveways, etc. There is also close cooperation with the MEP engineers, e.g., in terms of open space drainage, external routing for pipeline systems as well as outdoor lighting, empty conduit planning for the outdoor area and similar.

Other Experts:
Also, in a construction project (depending on building size and object type), additional experts must be involved in planning support, such as:
– Soil experts for the condition of the ground
– Experts for vibration assessment (vibration reports)
– Surveyors
– Experts for evidence preservation procedures
– Experts for unexploded ordnance clearance work
– Ventilation experts for garages/underground garages
– and other specialists for each case

During the actual construction process (after specialist planning and tendering has taken place), additional engineering and expert services are also considered (depending on the construction project and object type), such as:
– SIGEKO (Safety and Health Protection Coordinator)
– building authority tested experts for certain specialist areas
– testing experts for certain specialist areas (building authority tested)

For construction supervision / specialist construction management of the construction process for the respective areas, mostly the architects and MEP engineers are employed, ideally those participants who were already involved in the planning processes up to tendering.

Our Engineering Office for MEP
As an engineering office in the field of building services engineering, we stand by your side solidly and professionally throughout the entire planning and construction process.
Here, you don't have to assign us tasks first and wait for a reaction; we work proactively and define the task packages and next steps for you in advance (with associated necessary interfaces for consideration), so that you can be sure that our services can proceed unhindered from phase to phase – while construction process disruptions can be eliminated.