Insights

Commissioning Backwards: Optimizing Existing Buildings

In recent articles, we’ve talked a lot about the ins and outs of commissioning. This systematic process has clear benefits, and not just for new projects—the owners of older structures may have even more to gain from commissioning than property developers that build new. While demolishing and starting from scratch might seem like the best […]

Student Housing Design at SDSU

Catering to the students of San Diego State University (SDSU), Paseo Place is a mixed-use structure built by LDP Development that includes retail shops, two levels of underground parking, and 45 luxury student affiliate housing units. Our San Diego team designed the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems for this unique student housing structure. Some of […]

Retail Outlets: Designing for Growth

Salas O’Brien’s coast-to-coast team has designed retail facilities for the ever-changing needs of both national chains and regional shopping destinations. Here are two projects added to our portfolio by our San Diego team. The Citadel Outlets As the only retail outlet center in and around the area, the Citadel Outlets are a premier shopping destination […]

Southern California Hospitality: Gaslamp Quarter & More

Salas O’Brien has a rich background in design for hospitality venues, and our merger with T-Squared Engineers and Axiom Commissioning in San Diego, California, brings us even more hospitality experience. Here are a couple notable projects from our newly added portfolio: Courtyard Marriott Gaslamp Hotel Designed to match the needs of the modern business traveler, […]

Highland Sam J. Racadio Library + Environmental Learning Center: Practicing and Teaching Sustainability

The Highland Sam J. Racadio Library and Environmental Learning Center unites the best in academic and hands-on educational experiences, and our engineers’ mechanical, electrical, and plumbing expertise helped bring it all together. Located in the city of Highland, San Bernardino County, just outside of Los Angeles, this innovative center holds much more than your average […]

Salas O’Brien at the Beach

If you’re headed to the beach this summer, you may encounter some of our designs—especially now that we’ve merged with T-Squared Engineers and Axiom Commissioning Group in San Diego, just minutes from the beautiful California coastline. These additions to the Salas O’Brien portfolio include dozens of waterfront properties from city-run parks to military facilities. Here […]

Purposeful, Precise Design at SFSU’s New Global Museum

Salas O’Brien’s engineers have experience designing for projects from entire master-planned communities to expansive critical environments. But oftentimes, complex projects fit into a small space. One of our recent projects exemplifies a small space with precise design needs. Housed in the university’s Fine Arts building, San Francisco State University’s new Global Museum serves as a […]

James Anderton Joins Commissioning Leadership Team

Salas O’Brien is pleased to announce the addition of James (Jim) Anderton to the firm’s leadership team for commissioning. Anderton comes to Salas O’Brien from Independent Commissioning Consulting (ICC), a firm he led for the past eight years, and he brings more than 30 years of experience in commissioning, construction, facility maintenance, and design. “As […]

Engineering for Quality and Compliance in the Food and Beverage Industry

In any industry, the safety and efficiency of engineered production processes have a major impact on the bottom line. In the food and beverage industry, there’s a lot more than money at stake. Even the slightest production errors can radically affect consumer health and safety, and public trust, once lost, is difficult to regain. The […]

LEED: Achieve the Gold Standard in Sustainable Design with Salas O’Brien

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) began in 1993 with the singular mission of promoting sustainability in the building industry. This passion led to the creation of what has become the world’s most widely respected and utilized green building rating system: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Since the system’s inaugural year at the […]

Boosting Efficiency in the Manufacturing Industry

At Salas O’Brien, efficiency is more than just catch phrase. It’s the goal we’re constantly pursuing and achieving in our work. With the addition of our new Varo team, we can increase efficiency in more markets that ever before—including the manufacturing industry. In manufacturing, the efficiency and longevity of industrial equipment have a huge impact […]

Expanding Our Influence with Industrial Automation and Controls Engineering

Salas O’Brien has decades of experience designing building systems and controls from mechanical and electrical to direct digital control (DDC), life safety, and fire protection. Our professionals have an extensive knowledge base that covers not only older electric, pneumatic, and electronic systems, but also the migration path of the cutting-edge systems of today. Our merger […]