Our Practice

Our approach to Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) engineering services is focused on creating high-performance environments. Our customized design solutions support a building’s purpose – with systems that optimize the personal experience, promote productivity, and deliver practical results to owners, occupants, and operators.

GHT’s experience with a wide variety of HVAC, power, lighting, and plumbing systems drives our success – knowing the advantages that each option provides helps our team deliver unique solutions which achieve your system performance goals.

Our approach to Net Zero Energy (NZE) design is based upon decades of experience designing resilient, efficient facilities for clients throughout the Washington DC Metropolitan region. With a drive to innovate, our engineers are motivated to discover new design solutions – meeting objectives for flexibility, occupant health, on-site consumption of fossil fuels, climate-change responsive design and maximum resiliency of building operations during utility outages or catastrophes.

In our region, the energy used to operate mechanical systems accounts for one-third of our buildings’ total usage. We’re proud to be setting the standard for our industry by reducing systems usage, specifying more efficient systems, and developing solutions for on-site power generation which help offset usage.

We’ve served the DC Metro Area real estate market since 1965. During this time, we’ve gained a deep understanding of how regulatory, legal, and financial considerations impact the design process for new and second-generation spaces. We’ve also built relationships with local jurisdictions and played a significant role in developing the codes that dictate building requirements for our region. GHT can bring significant value to our project partners when brought on at the earliest stages of the project.

As a trusted adviser to real estate decision-makers, GHT provides MEP consulting services that include pre-leasing building space and system evaluations; lease language review; Request for Lease Proposal (RLP) and Expression of Interest (EOI) Support; Peer Review; and consulting related to Tax Credit and Financing Information.

Our Operations & Energy Services (OES) Studio provides support for building owners and operators throughout their building lifecycle. We offer solutions to MEP system challenges which impact efficiency and functionality, with a focus on enhancing building performance and asset values. GHT’s OES team partners with facility owners, property managers and building engineers to deliver Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) Program Consulting, Building Energy Services, Commissioning and Building Operations Consulting – blending theory with practical application to deliver real world solutions.

GHT offers a powerful combination of field experience, design proficiency, and credentials to deliver these services to our clients. By incorporating our design perspective and operational sensibilities, our team provides a holistic approach to operations and efficiency strategies that affect total building performance.

As local jurisdictions contemplate Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) programs for buildings in DC, MD and VA, you can trust our team to support you on your path to compliance. Through a BEPS Compliance Consulting Agreement, building owners and operators can gain access to a host of GHT services – from energy audits and studies to assistance with the design and construction of energy conservation measures (ECMs). Under a structured agreement, GHT can also provide support between your first BEPS Compliance Cycle and the established next threshold to continue responding to jurisdictional requirements and ensure your building stays on track.

Specific BEPS consulting services are tailored to your building’s needs and can include the following: Baseline BEPS Analysis during Year 1; Implementation of ECMs during Years 2 through 5; and Annual Reporting. Our goal is to provide you with a roadmap to achieve compliance within your jurisdiction’s current BEPS framework – while supporting your building through construction, operations, monitoring and the next threshold.

Commissioning is essential to design, as it confirms your building is achieving expected performance. Through innovative approaches, the GHT team can optimize building sustainability, energy, and performance. Our commissioning team assures seamless integration and optimal performance of your building systems through a meticulous process which tests and fine-tunes your HVAC, lighting, and plumbing systems, as well as verifies electrical performance. We go beyond installation, ensuring that your MEP systems align with industry standards and your specific requirements.

Led by a diverse team of certified professionals, GHT’s Commissioning services include documenting your facility’s baseline performance and undertaking improvements to reach optimal efficiency. We are accustomed to serving as the Commissioning authority (CxA) for new construction and existing buildings, offering unmatched knowledge and expertise which increase operational savings and enhance your decision-making process.

Sustainability was a core practice of GHT long before it was standard practice for our industry. The pursuit of LEED, WELL, FitWel, and other certifications adds a layer of complexity to the design and construction process. GHT can provide MEP engineering and certification management under one contract, which simplifies the procurement process and deliver innovative thinking to meet sustainability goals. Our team has delivered design and documentation guidance on some of the most difficult energy, lighting, ventilation, water and commissioning-related credits for the region’s most notable projects – from the LEED Platinum U.S. Green Building Council HQ to Amazon HQ2, the largest LEED BD+C v4 project in the world.

Our certification management team has a portfolio of more than 60 recently certified projects, while our MEP Design + Commissioning team has documented more than 170 projects that have achieved certification. You can trust in our expertise to deliver on your certification goals.

With the addition of our latest service offering, GHT’s team can support both your building and organizational goals when it comes to sustainability. Carbon accounting, which focuses on greenhouse gas (GHG) benchmarking and reporting at the project and organizational levels, can arm you with actionable steps to save energy, reduce emissions, and maintain indoor environmental air quality while future-proofing against policy updates. These services include the measurement, reporting and management of GHG emissions and carbon footprint – with the goal of quantifying the amount of GHG and carbon dioxide which can be attributed to an organization or project. This process is crucial for businesses and building owners working to understand, monitor and mitigate their environmental impact.

In addition to carbon accounting, the GHT team can work with your organization to benchmark your operational GHG emissions and provide guidance to prioritize which emissions to benchmark and track. If your building is subject to BEPS, you should also consider carbon accounting when improving your buildings performance, as several local jurisdictions are contemplating moving towards a GHG emissions-based measurement model for future BEPS cycles. Our experts will work with you to explore different options and build a suite of customized services to meet your operational and organizational goals.