15th Anniversary Interview with Principal, Director of Asset Preservation and Director of Engineering Alkeshkumar (Alkesh) Taylor

Congratulations to Alkeshkumar (Alkesh) Taylor, PE, LEED® AP, Principal, Director of Asset Preservation, Director of Engineering, on his 15th anniversary with Thriven Design. Since joining the firm in 2009, Alkesh has contributed invaluable expertise and leadership to our in-house MEP/FP and Energy teams, ensuring that project milestones are met and client goals are realized. As a Principal of the firm, he provides steady oversight and guidance to foster firm initiatives, encourage employee growth, and enable our multidisciplinary teams to live out our founding mission each day—  to serve others and create places where people thrive.

In honor of this 15th anniversary milestone, please enjoy a special interview with Alkesh in which he shares insight into his career journey:

What led you to pursue a career in engineering and energy? Did anything or anyone in particular inspire you?

I was encouraged to pursue a career in engineering by my parents, who came to this country seeking better opportunities than they had in India. I have always had a passion for understanding how things work. Growing up in a budget-minded home, we practiced energy efficiency in various ways, such as turning off lights, managing the setpoint on the heating and cooling systems, turning off equipment when away, and air sealing.

During my senior year in college, I was part of a design team to revitalize the old MET theater located on North Broad Street in Philadelphia. At that time, the theater was dilapidated and not in use, but it had the best natural acoustics and had previously been used by the Philadelphia Orchestra to record symphonies. My specific responsibility on the design team was to re-design the HVAC system in the building. We used an HVAC modeling software program to perform the heating and cooling loads, select equipment, and re-design the ductwork.

It was during this project that I learned that delivering cooling air closer to the occupants’ level rather than at the ceiling could save energy and provide better comfort. We redesigned the ductwork so that the supply air was delivered from under the floor at the below the audience seating. This allowed us to save a significant amount of cooling load and reduce the size of the equipment.

After graduating, I continued pursuing my passion for energy-efficient HVAC system design. I was naturally drawn to designing energy-efficient buildings and realized that HVAC system design is a holistic and collaborative approach that includes all the different trades, from architecture, planning, civil engineering, and interior design. Each trade can have a significant impact on the heating and cooling loads of the building, and when considered thoughtfully, it can create a highly energy-efficient building in a cost-effective way that is better for the environment. This approach can save both embodied energy and operational energy over the life of the building.

Energy efficiency consulting was a natural outgrowth of my passion for energy-efficient HVAC system design, reducing building operating costs, and minimizing environmental impact.

Since beginning your new role as the leader in our Asset Preservation Studio at the start of this year, how have you seen the intersection of architecture and engineering grow closer in your everyday work?

As I state above, I always envisioned the design of buildings to be a holistic approach of different specialized trades. In college while pursing my Architectural Engineering degree, I learned that great architecture is more than form and function. It a balanced combination of both. A great building not only is aesthetically pleasing, but also serves its intended purpose effectively and efficiently. The intersection of architecture and engineering existed since construction of the first adobe homes. But we now have much more complex architecture and engineering systems that need to be incorporated to create a balanced building. By bringing my expertise in energy-efficient HVAC design and energy efficiency to architecture, I hope to push the collaborative approach to create better, more efficient, cost-effective buildings.

Can you tell us about some exciting technologies that are advancing the ways that the Asset Preservation and Engineering teams are doing their work?

I love the use of technology to document existing conditions. We utilize Matterport and drones to survey existing conditions of the interior and exterior of the buildings. This allows us to evaluate portions of the building’s envelope and structure in much more detail that are not typically and easily accessible. Photographic and video documentation of existing conditions provides details that the team can use to identify the scope and ensure there are less surprises once the construction is underway. We continue to push the envelope in using technology for documenting existing conditions in asset preservation.

If an aspiring engineer or architect were to ask you for your top three pieces of advice for a successful and fulfilling career, what would you tell them?

Focus on things that you are passionate about. When you clearly define the reasons why you want to pursue a particular career, you will be better equipped to overcome the challenges that will inevitably arise.

Make a commitment to persevere, especially when faced with challenges, because without commitment, perseverance is difficult.

Hard work is key to success in any profession, whether you are an engineer, a doctor, or a teacher. Putting in effort and dedication will help you achieve your goals.