The Future of MEP Design

Mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) systems make up a significant portion of any commercial project, and every decision surrounding these systems can have a considerable impact on a project’s design. The systems selected, and how they are laid out, drive the look of a project, as well as the long-term operational costs, end-user satisfaction, and overall project costs. By some accounts, MEP systems make up 30% to 50% of the total construction costs.

Given the central role MEP systems play in driving design decisions, it’s clear that taking steps to improve MEP designs offers tremendous opportunity.

In recent years, MEP design technology has advanced rapidly, achieving new levels of process efficiency, driving decreases in cost and reducing system clashes. Many of these improvements have come by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) technology. However, there are many barriers that still need to be overcome to drive the improvements needed in MEP design.

We’ve seen evidence that MEP design technology stands poised to change what architects, engineers, contractors and project owners are willing to accept in terms of design quality and project risks—for the better. Getting to this point, however, will demand that project stakeholders evaluate their priorities and what they must change to achieve improvements in MEP design.