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

The planning and object supervision of the building architecture as well as the building submission for a
construction project is realized by at least one architect. For the other
specialist planning trades such as electrical engineering, supply and disposal technology, building physics in building 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 this as a holistic work. In doing so, all planning steps necessary for the correct implementation of the planning for each specialist trade are usually specified according to the recognized fee schedule for architects and engineers. These typical services range from basic analysis to execution planning, tendering and awarding, object supervision during the construction phase and object 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 analysis to completion of the construction project, depending on the client's wishes.

Building services engineering generally encompasses all building technical trades, including energy technical 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 the building construction trades (cost group 300), for the purpose of
structural work, building finishing 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 technical trades, such as
plumbing, heating, room air technology, power systems, telecommunications,
fire alarm technology, fire suppression systems, elevator systems, building automation and other building technical trades.

As a rule, several specialist engineers are required for the MEP trades, as the specialist disciplines are classically divided as follows:
– Specialist engineer for heating, plumbing / supply technology
– Specialist engineer for room air 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 construction technical actual feasibility (focus on the technical aspect). Load-bearing capacity, foundation, static concerns in general and building physical aspects of construction technology in terms of structural work are the main tasks here.
Generally, this part is also to be counted toward 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 the structural fire protection for the object, develop this in coordination with the fire department and the other specialist planning participants (especially architect and MEP engineers) and present it in a final testable manner. Here, fire sections, measures for building technical 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. Close cooperation with the MEP engineers also takes place here, e.g., in terms of open space drainage, external routing for pipeline systems as well as outdoor facility lighting, conduit planning for the outdoor area and similar.

Other Experts:
Also, for a construction project (depending on construction 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 situation

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, usually the architects and MEP engineers are employed, ideally those participants who were already involved in the planning processes up to the 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 first assign us tasks 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 – at the same time construction process disruptions can be eliminated through this.