MEP Engineering for Mixed-Use Developments

Engineous Group provides mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering for mixed-use
developments across California. We have engineered ground-floor retail over residential, podium
parking under multi-story housing, and adaptive reuse of historic commercial buildings into
condominiums.

Mixed-use projects we have engineered

• Geneva, Venice – mixed-use development in Venice, Los Angeles
• Mosaic, Encino – two levels of garage with five stories above, condominium and retail
• Walker Historical Building, Long Beach – condominium, garage and retail shops, 95,000 sq ft
• Insurance Exchange Historical Building, Long Beach – residential and retail, 40,000 sq ft
• Mission District Lofts and Retail, South Pasadena – 25,000 sq ft
• Pine Ave Condos – one level of parking with four stories of residential above

What makes mixed-use different

A mixed-use building is not one building. Retail, residential, and parking have different
occupancy classifications, different ventilation requirements, and different hours of operation,
and the code treats them accordingly. The engineering questions that decide cost and schedule are
usually these:

• Separation and shafts. Occupancy separation dictates where ducts, risers and
  electrical distribution can pass between the commercial and residential portions, and how much
  shaft space has to be reserved before the architectural plan is fixed.
• Metering and service. Commercial tenants and residential units are typically
  metered separately. Service sizing, transformer location, and house-meter provisions need to be
  settled early because they consume ground-floor area.
• Parking ventilation. Enclosed and podium parking carries mechanical ventilation
  and CO monitoring requirements that interact with the structure above.
• Title 24 across mixed occupancies. Residential and non-residential portions are
  evaluated under different parts of the California Energy Code within a single project.
• Fire protection continuity. Sprinkler and standpipe design has to work across
  the podium transition and serve both occupancy types.

Adaptive reuse and historic conversions

Several of the projects above are historic buildings converted to residential and retail use.
Retrofitting modern mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems into a structure that was not
designed for them is a distinct discipline: existing structure constrains routing, chase space is
limited, and preservation requirements restrict what can be altered. Our
historic building portfolio includes the Orpheum
Theater and Pacific Electric Building in Los Angeles alongside the Long Beach conversions.

Scope we provide

We deliver mechanical and plumbing,
electrical,
fire protection,
solar and photovoltaic, and
LEED and Title 24 engineering, coordinated within one
design team and issued as a permit-ready document set.

Where we work

Mixed-use work across Los Angeles,
Orange County,
the Inland Empire,
Ventura and Santa Barbara, and
California more broadly. See related
multifamily and senior housing
engineering.

“Hochhauser Blatter, Architecture and Planning has worked with The Engineous Group for over 15 years on a significant number of mixed use, senior housing, student housing, OSHPD and commercial projects.”

Jay I. Blatter
Hochhauser Blatter Architecture and Planning