For the second year in a row, KJWW Engineering Consultants, of Rock Island, Ill., was ranked the No. 1 MEP engineering firm in the Midwest by Midwest Construction magazine in its annual ranking of design firms. The mechanical-electrical-plumbing ranking is based on 2007 revenue for the markets in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Missouri. KJWW had $35.8 million in revenue in those territories.

In the category of all architectural and engineering design firms in the Midwest, KJWW ranked 5th, up from 16th a year ago. In 2007, the firm’s design revenues were $42.2 million, up from $32.4 million the year before.

Among firms specializing in healthcare design, KJWW ranked No. 1 in the Midwest. The healthcare market accounts for nearly 60 percent of the firms’ annual practice.

"We are glad to show sustained growth for another year, and KJWW continues to do a very healthy mix of project types and sizes throughout the Midwest and beyond," said KJWW President Paul VanDuyne, P.E.

Published monthly in Chicago, Midwest Construction focuses on construction projects in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin. To see the ranking lists go to the Midwest Construction web site and click on "Top Design 2008."

KJWW Engineering Consultants, of Rock Island, Ill, is rated by Engineering News-Record magazine (ENR) as one of the nation’s top 100 green design firms in the nation.

In its first Top Green Design Firms survey, ENR ranked KJWW as 98th with 3 percent of its total revenue in green design last year. The survey measures the green design market based on firms’ 2007 design revenue from projects registered with, and actively seeking LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The certification is from a third-party rating group – the U.S. Green Building Council.

KJWW currently has 44 LEED-accredited professionals on staff and in 2007 did $1.54 million in green design work.

"KJWW promotes the use of our LEED professionals on project design teams," said KJWW President Paul VanDuyne, PE. "Our emphasis on energy efficiency and environmental sustainability help minimize the impact of the buildings we design."

ENR’s article notes that green building for several years was seen as a novelty, or an extra in building design, but with the sudden surge in energy prices, building green is "no longer an expensive luxury, but an often cost-effective alternative to traditional design."

The Top 100 green design firms generated design revenue of $1.74 billion from green projects in 2007. It accounted for 7.4 percent of the Top 100’s total design revenue.

More than 50 of KJWW’s current projects are seeking LEED certifications, including two projects seeking the highest LEED certification of Platinum. KJWW also is seeking LEED Silver Certification for its recent 17,700-SF expansion to its corporate headquarters.

KJWW Engineering Consultants is pleased to announce that Kelly Altes, PE, was recognized as one of the top 40 building industry engineers for 2009 by Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine.

This award is given to engineers under the age of 40 (as of May 1) who stand out in their academic, professional, personal and community achievements. Candidates were nominated by a professional colleague and were judged based on commitment to excellence in a variety of areas, according to the magazine.

The May Specifiers Guide of Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine profiles each young professional, highlighting circumstances that lead them to success, and highlights recent professional projects and personal achievements.

Altes, a senior engineer at KJWW, is a 2001 graduate of Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. She has been a structural engineer with KJWW since 2001. Her expertise is in the design of structural systems including condition studies and evaluations, system comparisons and preparation of plans and specifications for various building types utilizing wood, masonry, reinforced concrete, cold form, aluminum and structural steel.

Altes also serves as the structural department supervisor for the Des Moines office.

"Our 40 Under 40 honorees excel in various areas of the building and construction industry: mechanical, electrical, or plumbing (MEP) engineering or associated professions," said Michael Ivanovich, editor-in-chief, Consulting-Specifying Engineer. "These leaders really stand out in their profession while also achieving work-life balance and serving their communities. These 40 winners are the mentors of the future and are inspirational role models for young engineers and building professionals."

Consulting-Specifying Engineer (www.csemag.com) is a monthly magazine serving more than 46,000 mechanical and electrical engineers. It covers mechanical, electrical, and fire/life-safety engineering for commercial, industrial, government, healthcare and high-tech buildings.

C-SE’s profile of Altes highlights her work on the two-story, 130,000-sq-ft expansion and 144,000-sq-ft renovation of Des Moines Valley High School. The article states: "The school had multiple floor elevations and existing drawings from previous renovations, making it difficult to update ramps and stairs with their numerous reference points. The biggest surprise came when the contractors, digging in the school courtyard—the future site of the addition—found two old heating fuel tanks. Because the fuel tanks were close to the school gym, significant shoring of the existing gym footings had to be completed prior to removal of the existing fuel tanks. Altes also played a pivotal role as the lead structural engineer for the Manifold Building, a part of the $200 million, 255-bed Sherman Hospital that included a 2,400-ton lake-coupled geothermal system."

To read a profile of each winner, including Altes, visit www.csemag.com/40under40.

KJWW Engineering Consultants is pleased to announce that Vice President Warren L. Lloyd, PE, LEED AP, was named one of Engineering News-Record’s Top 25 Newsmakers of 2008. The winners were chosen for innovation and achievements in the building, design and construction industry that were featured in the publication during the previous year. ENR is a leading design and construction industry publication.

Lloyd was honored for his work on the country’s largest lake-coupled geothermal system for the $200 million Sherman Hospital project in Elgin. The 650,000 SF greenfield replacement hospital is a leader in innovative design and economic and environmental stewardship.

According to ENR, Lloyd "was recognized for dramatically reducing energy costs with super-sized geothermal systems. Sustainable air-handling is a reality, thanks to him. He proved it in 2000 with a geothermal system at the Great River Medical Center in Iowa and continues to be an objective green advisor to people interested in producing power on-site."

The 255-bed hospital offers spectacular views across a 15-acre man-made lake to a forest preserve beyond. The lake serves as the energy source for the geothermal system. Lloyd "made the case for hospital owners to go green and save big bucks by proving out large scale, geothermal heat exchangers," ENR said.

The system is estimated to save 30 to 40 percent of Sherman’s space-conditioning costs and upwards of a million dollars a year, making it one of the most energy efficient healthcare facilities in the world. The system qualified Sherman for nearly $1.4 million in state and federal grants.

Lloyd has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and recently celebrated his 25th anniversary with KJWW. He serves as corporate vice president of engineering for the firm. He specializes in engineering-intensive facilities requiring strict control of humidity, temperature and indoor air quality such as laboratories, hospitals, museums, libraries and industrial plants.

He was selected for the award from a large pool of nominees judged by ENR editors to have made the "most important contributions to the industry and the public in 2008."

ASHRAE Awards Boldt Certification for High-Performance Building Design

KJWW Engineering is pleased to announce Jeff Boldt, PE, LEED AP, has earned a High-Performance Building Design Professional certification from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Boldt is a principal with the firm.

ASHRAE’s certification program identifies individuals who have demonstrated they have the necessary training and tools for the design of high-performance buildings that live up to their performance capability.

"An ASHRAE certification benefits building owners, employers and individuals," says ASHRAE President Bill Harrison. "Firms who employ ASHRAE-certified engineers are better able to promote their services, and individuals who are certified approach their design responsibilities with greater confidence. ASHRAE certification helps designers demonstrate that they have mastered a certain body of knowledge in order to stand out from their competition."

The content of the exam includes sustainability concepts, HVAC and sustainable processes and environmental improvement programs and rating systems; energy analysis; indoor environment; controls and monitoring; benchmarking with performance metrics; water conservation, commissioning in sustainable construction; and operation and maintenance of high-performance buildings.

The exam is offered at testing facilities across the United States and in 26 other nations. Persons interested in earning the certification must meet certain eligibility requirements and submit a completed application. A list of recommended resources on high-performance building design from ASHRAE and other sources is available. For more information, visit www.ashrae.org/certification.

Boldt is a mechanical engineer and has been with KJWW for 26 years.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of some 50,000 persons. ASHRAE fulfills its mission of advancing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education.

KJWW Engineering Consultants is pleased to announce that Lincoln Pearce, PE, LEED^® AP, received Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine’s "40 Under 40" award.

This award is given to 40 building industry engineers under the age of 40 who stand out in their academic, professional, personal and community achievements. Candidates had to be nominated by a professional colleague and were judged based on commitment to excellence in a variety of areas.

"Our 40 Under 40 honorees excel in mechanical, electrical, or plumbing (MEP) engineering or professions associated with the construction industry, while also achieving work-life balance and serving their communities," said Michael Ivanovich, editor-in-chief, Consulting-Specifying Engineer. "From responding to sustainability and technology challenges to working in IT-based collaborative environments, the 40 Under 40 are inspirational role models for students seeking dynamic and economically rewarding careers that provide public benefit."

Pearce has had an accelerated career at KJWW Engineering Consultants since joining the firm 13 years ago as a Mechanical Design Engineer after graduating from Iowa State University. His drive to succeed and technical skill became obvious quickly when, at the age of 28, he became a Licensed Professional Engineer.

Lincoln was at the forefront of LEED design practices and sustainable design when it was just becoming popular with owners in 2002. He became the firm’s first LEED-accredited professional and pioneered KJWW’s LEED and sustainable design efforts. He became knowledgeable on LEED certifications and continues to be a resource for other engineers in the company on green design practices.

He was recognized by an engineering trade publication for his work on the $50 million, 280,000-square-foot Harper College Avante Center. The building won an award for its ability to meter energy usage and its energy recovery system.

Pearce has raised money to help children with muscular dystrophy and resides in Davenport with his wife Stacy, and their two children.