Mechanical/Plumbing

Click here for Plumbing Engineer profile

Meet Afaan, a mechanical engineer…

I chose to work for Arup because I wanted to work for a company where I could be creative and see my projects go all the way from early sketches and analyses, to becoming part of the built environment. The personal development, skills networks, multicultural offices and superb co-workers and supervisors were a bonus.

Within the buildings group I create energy models, carry out facade studies, lay out utilities and ductwork, and spend many a day up on a ladder with my head in the ceiling of an existing building investigating potential energy savings. Within the consulting group, I advise clients on how to reduce carbon emissions, develop master plans for universities and provide strategic consulting on waste-to-energy systems - all while giving shape to my ideas through reports, sketches and presentations.

Some of the major projects I’ve worked on at Arup include the UCSF Mission Bay Hospital Complex, the Norcal Waste Transfer Station and the Rincon Center Retrocommissioning in San Francisco, as well as the California State University East Bay Hayward Masterplan and the Singapore Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise.

I started out at Arup with limited knowledge about mechanical systems, energy modeling and general coordination with other engineering disciplines and architects. Today, I feel like I am somewhat of a “go-to-guy” for many of those topics thanks to the incredible support and learning environment encouraged in the office. I strive to support the new hires and interns as well as I was, and I hope that I continue to feel more and more comfortable with the newer challenges and topics that have replaced the original ones!

What do mechanical engineers at Arup do?

Mechanical engineering at Arup is split into two categories. The first, and core, category deals with the mechanical design of buildings. Tasks in this category range from collaborating with architects as they develop buildings; offering the best mechanical solutions to ensure energy efficiency, optimal air quality and occupant satisfaction; to designing and coordinating with other engineering disciplines as multidisciplinary projects are taken from concept design all the way through to construction.

The second category allows Arup graduate mechanical engineers to pursue their interests and skills through involvement in charrettes, helping clients achieve their energy efficiency accreditation goals, designing renewable energy systems, and researching and incorporating emerging technologies. Mechanical graduates rapidly become a highly valued commodity within the firm, and are often in high demand due to their varied, tailor-made skill set.

What would my first few years be like?

The following description lists a typical approach to foundational training in your discipline; however business needs, project task availability, and your training interests will also influence the scope and order of training.

In your first six months you will learn the basics of the analysis tools used in the profession through on-the-job training and appropriate coursework from continuing education providers, including:

The typical tasks you will perform will be as follows:

During your second six months, you will learn both drawing and report production skills on-the-job, including:

The tasks you will perform will continue to be all previous tasks, as well as:

In the first half of your second year, you will most likely learn about multidisciplinary design through in-house courses and be taught detailed calculation techniques related to final fan, pump, and equipment selections. You will participate in a multidisciplinary project and will be responsible for putting together mechanical drawings, including final equipment selection with manufacturers and be involved in producing construction documents.

For the latter half of your second year, you will start to understand the details of the code, the construction industry, and will perform project site visits. You will assist in the construction administration process, review contractor submittals, and answer contractor questions. You will continue the development of your detailed engineering design tasks as learned in the first 18 months, and begin to teach basic tasks to new graduate engineers.

Want to join us?

The ideal candidate for an entry-level position would have the following characteristics:

Technical abilities

Necessary Preferred
Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or architectural engineering 3.5 GPA or higher, Master’s degree, EIT certification, membership in ASHRAE or ASME
Coursework in HVAC design or heat transfer and thermodynamics Course in sustainability, energy/thermal modeling skills, AutoCAD drafting skills
Internship experience in engineering-related firm Internship with HVAC emphasis

Intangible and interpersonal characteristics

Necessary Preferred
Proven interest in the built environment Evidence of past internship or extracurricular activity in the field
Good time management habits, ability to multi-task and ability to sustain focus on long tasks Proven ability to perform in a paid work environment with intermittent supervision
Ability to communicate thoughts and technical ideas in an accessible way Past history of technical presentations and technical writing
Attitude of taking initiative, enthusiasm, eagerness to learn, teamwork and creativity Evidence of personal investment in academic or extracurricular field

Click here to apply for a Graduate Mechanical Engineer position with Arup.

Meet Ryan, a plumbing engineer…

I was attracted to Arup by the diversity of the projects and the community service awareness globally across the firm. This includes local fundraisers and large international projects bringing clean water to African people and creating sustainable options for South American cities.

Less than a year after joining Arup, I was assigned as the lead plumbing engineer for the new Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations design. BART is building six new stations in the Bay Area. I am also the lead plumbing engineer on five Apple retail stores - one in Canada, two in China and two in the United States.

My discipline leader and other plumbing group members have worked hard to make sure I am growing and learning in my role. I feel well-guided, and I look forward to coming to work each day. I also enjoy the diverse group of people I work with, including engineers from Canada, Japan, the UK, Poland and New Zealand.

What do plumbing engineers at Arup do?

Plumbing (and fire protection) engineers are responsible for the total design of plumbing systems and fire suppression systems. These are generally domestic hot and cold water services; sanitary and storm drainage systems; automatic sprinkler, and standpipe systems. However, most buildings are unique and will require differing approaches to providing these systems. For example, a small office building may generate hot water by an electric immersion heater or via natural gas, but a large dormitory may generate hot water via a steam heat exchanger. It is the engineer’s responsibility to ensure that the appropriate piping, system and equipment are provided to best suit the client’s needs - including cost. The systems then need to be fully coordinated and integrated with the other disciplines and the building architecture.

Often, clients have specific requirements such as achieving LEED certification or sometimes just being ‘green’, ‘sustainable’ or socially responsible. It is part of our job to define what they mean by these terms and design our solutions accordingly.

What would my first few years be like?

The following description lists a fairly typical approach to foundational training in your discipline; however business needs, project task availability, and your training interests will also influence the scope and order of training.

In your first six months, you will learn the basics of the analysis tools used in the profession through on-the-job training and appropriate coursework from continuing education providers, including:

The typical tasks you will perform will be as follows:

During your second six months, you will learn both drawing and report production skills on-the-job, including:

The tasks you will perform will continue to be all previous tasks, as well as:

For the first half of your second year, you will learn about multidisciplinary design through in-house courses and detailed calculation techniques related to final fire pump and equipment selections. You will participate in a multidisciplinary project and be responsible for putting together plumbing and fire protection drawings, including final equipment selection with manufacturers and participation in producing construction documents.

For the latter half of your second year, you will start to understand the details of the regional codes, the construction industry, and will perform project site visits. You will assist in the construction administration process, review contractor submittals, and answer contractor questions. You will continue the development of your detailed engineering design tasks as learned in the first 18 months, and begin to teach basic tasks to new graduate engineers.

Want to join us?

The ideal candidate for an entry-level position would have the following characteristics:

Technical abilities

Necessary Preferred
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Architectural Engineering 3.5 GPA or higher, Master’s degree, EIT certification, membership in ASPE or NFPA
Coursework in piping / fluid dynamics Course in sustainability, AutoCAD drafting skills
Internship experience in engineering-related firm Internship with piping emphasis/civil/hydraulics

Intangible and Interpersonal Characteristics

Necessary Preferred
Proven interest in the built environment Evidence of past internship or extracurricular activity in the field
Good time management habits, ability to multi-task, ability to sustain focus on long tasks Proven ability to perform in a paid work environment with intermittent supervision
Ability to communicate thoughts and technical ideas in an accessible way Past history of technical presentations and technical writing
Attitude of taking initiative, enthusiasm, eagerness to learn, teamwork and creativity Evidence of personal investment in academic or extracurricular field

Click here to apply for a Graduate Plumbing Engineer position with Arup.