Insights

Mel Kalmans Celebrates Nearly 60 Years in Industry, Announces Retirement for End of 2018

Mel Kalmans, co-founder of Salas O’Brien’s Houston office and an industry veteran of nearly 60 years, announced his retirement yesterday in a meeting with the Salas O’Brien teams in Texas and Louisiana. To ensure a smooth transition for clients, Mel’s retirement will take place at the end of 2018. Aside from Mel’s devoted family, Salas […]

Salas O’Brien Named a 2018 Commissioning Giant

Salas O’Brien has once again been named to Consulting-Specifying Engineer‘s list of Commissioning Giants. The award is based on annual billings and includes firms performing all types of commissioning around the world.

Interview: Engineering for High-Speed Tolling

Salas O’Brien’s new Orlando office has unique capabilities in engineering for high-speed tolling. Here, Adam Levine, Principal, shares details on what exactly these projects entail and why he loves working on them. How long have you been doing high-speed tolling projects? This office has been doing high-speed tolling projects for more than 20 years. I’ve […]

Saving Energy & Advancing Careers at Alief ISD

At Salas O’Brien, our commitment to community-building means that we love contributing to education projects. That’s why we were especially excited to attend last week’s ribbon-cutting at the Center for Advanced Careers in Houston’s Alief ISD. The 235,000-square-foot school can accommodate up to 2,500 students receiving training in areas as diverse as veterinary science, manufacturing, […]

Interview: Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Solutions in Automation and Controls Retrofit

Without extensive prior documentation, there’s no way to know what obstacles may arise in complex retrofit projects. Salas O’Brien’s automation and controls team knows this better than most, and our insight and experience can help you plan for the best and prepare for the worst in your upcoming retrofit projects. In this short interview, automation […]

From Energy Audits to Energy Savings: ROI through Chilled Water and More

Coming out of a summer of record-breaking heat waves, many property owners and developers are taking a fresh look at the high energy costs that come with keeping things cool. AC can take a major toll on the bottom line during steamy summer months, but Salas O’Brien can help you maintain a comfortable atmosphere while […]

EBCx Raises the Bar at Georgia Department of Public Health Lab

In engineering, a project’s square footage doesn’t always indicate its complexity. Small, key environments like data centers, laboratories, and clean rooms often require incredibly detailed design work to achieve necessary outcomes. Our work for the Georgia Department of Public Health in Decatur, Georgia, is a prime example of this type of small-scale, complex project. The […]

Supporting Great Corporate Culture with MEP Engineering at McCoy’s

At Salas O’Brien, we love supporting companies that are locally grown but have a big regional impact and share our ethos for hard work and integrity. McCoy’s Building Supply is just such a company, and we were thrilled to partner with McCoy’s in designing its corporate headquarters. McCoy’s has a rich history in Texas—one that […]

Welcome, Orlando!

Salas O’Brien is thrilled to welcome Orlando-based Sims Wilkerson Cartier Engineering (SWC) into the Salas O’Brien family. SWC’s talent and portfolio dramatically increase Salas O’Brien’s ability to partner with clients in Florida and throughout the Southeast. As SWC continues growing in Florida, the team will also bring its expertise in site development, infrastructure improvement, and […]

Quality and Efficiency through Reality-Capture Technology

It’s one of the most rewarding aspects of being a Salas O’Brien team member: discovering and implementing technology that brings immediate value to our clients. It can be a game-changer for an entire project team. The latest design tool added to Salas O’Brien’s repertoire is the Leica BLK 360, a revolutionary 3D laser scanning tool. […]

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 […]