International Women in Engineering Day is Jun 23, 2022! On this day we celebrate our female engineers and recognize all women in engineering and their accomplishments. Here’s to more women entering STEM careers! May we support them and help them grow.
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360 Engineering Leaders Nominated for Awards
This year, 360 Engineering was honored to have two nominees at the SMPS Colorado Marketing Excellence Awards. Denise Dihle was nominated for Firm Leader of the Year and Stacey Richardson, CPSM, for Marketer of the Year. Congratulations to all of the 2022 award winners, and thank you to The Unfound Door for capturing the celebration! The awards event took place at Asterisk Denver in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood on May 19, 2022.
Meet Our Newest Colorado Professional Engineer, Brennen Guy!
Brennen joined the 360 Engineering team in 2018, bringing his passion for mechanical engineering design to every project. He finds it satisfying to see a project through the concept to construction stages, especially knowing other people will benefit from the design. He also enjoys being constantly challenged with logic and math-based tasks.
As a Project Engineer, Brennen’s focus includes field studies, calculations, equipment selections and layout, and drafting. He is also the go-to mentor for our new engineers. Brennen brings spunk into our office culture, which is why he helps lead our 360 Engineering Cultural and Events Committee!
We are thrilled that Brennen is now a Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado and can’t wait to see where he goes from here.
New Project Engineers and Summer Fun!
Welcome to Team 360
We are excited to introduce you to our most recent additions at 360 Engineering.
Audrey Filey – Project Engineer
As a Project Engineer, Audrey is responsible for conducting all associated field investigations, calculations, equipment selections, and drafting. Her experience includes many project types, including schools, mental health centers, offices, and mechanical equipment replacements in existing buildings. She grew up in Buffalo, New York, where she earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Buffalo. Audrey loves the outdoors and animals, moving to Colorado with her cat, Murphy.
Ella Tankersley – Project Engineer
Ella also conducts all associated field assessments, calculations, equipment selections, and drafting in her Project Engineer role. Earning her Mechanical Engineering degree from Virginia Tech University, Ella chose to study engineering because she enjoys problem-solving and seeing how plans transform in real life. Ella enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, cooking, and trying new foods.
360 Engineering Takes on Winter Park
Our staff and family members recently spent a day and night enjoying an escape in the Colorado high country. And, we all came back in one piece!
360 Engineering’s Most Recent Hires
Welcome to Team 360!
Even during Covid-times, we’ve been hiring new mechanical engineers. These three joined us in Fall 2020 and have been keeping busy with projects ever since. We are thrilled to have them on board!
Andrew Dihle – Project Engineer
As a Project Engineer, Andrew is responsible for conducting all associated field assessments, calculations, equipment selections, and drafting. In his time with 360 Engineering, Andrew’s projects have included schools, offices, municipal buildings, and mechanical upgrades. Andrew received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Grand Canyon University and interned at 360 Engineering for two summers before joining us full time. Andrew loves the mountains and the outdoors and explores them with his dog, Gemini. He’s always had a passion for aviation and aerospace.
Jacob Zall – Project Engineer
As a Project Engineer, Jacob is responsible for conducting all associated field assessments, calculations, equipment selections, and drafting. Jacob received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arizona. A Colorado native, Jacob embraces the outdoors lifestyle. He enjoys going on long day hikes, skiing down the mountains, relaxing in nature, and taking his dog, Izzy, to dog parks.
James Komperud – Project Engineer II
James began his career in Washington State, where he was involved in various projects and organizations, including Young Engineers of American and ASHRAE. James is now a project engineer for 360 Engineering, working on key projects such as a new Denver Police Station. He conducts all associated fieldwork, calculations, equipment selections, and drafting. James earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Gonzaga University and is an Engineer in Training. James grew up in Boise, ID. He is a computer gamer at heart but loves football, motorcycles, and car racing!
The Future of Office Space
In January, BusinessDen held a virtual panel discussion with developers and property managers to discuss what post-COVID workplaces might look like in the Denver Metro area. Here are some takeaways from the event.
What will tenants be looking for:
- Healthy buildings/WELL Certified buildings
- Disinfectant technology/UV light/Purification/HEPA filters/Air Filtration Systems
- Touchless surfaces/fixtures/elevators (operated by apps)
- Exterior space/Open-air
- More amenities
- Lifestyle (companies drawn to Denver)
Office layout:
- Similar to what we have been seeing, but more flex space.
What do tenants’ plans look like?
- Most tenants with expiring leases want to buy time, but this is starting to shift.
- Seeing an increasing desire to commit to office space, but don’t know what that looks like, whether its full-time or part-time in the office.
- Some tenants are super stable, know what they want, and landlords are keeping an open mind (shorter-term leases, etc.).
- Tenants struggle with space planning for the future, especially when new-construction office space leases are 7-10 years.
What will happen beyond work from home?
- Probably more flexibility, but not fully work from home.
- Not being in the office can cause loss of culture, lifestyle, retention, burn-out, mental health issues.
- Will see a shift back into the office.
- Students learning/working from home now may want an in-office/interactive work environment.
Office space location:
- Some shifting towards suburbs but don’t write off downtown.
- Demand for Cherry Creek, and suburbs.
- Downtown suffering now but believe it will bounce back.
Rent prices:
- Not seeing a decrease in rents, like tenants had hoped (nationwide).
- There may be a small drop in rents, and things like more allowance for tenant finishes.
Additional information:
https://www.gensler.com/research-insight/blog/the-future-workplace-will-embrace-a-hybrid-reality
https://5280.com/2020/how-2020-has-affected-the-way-we-use-office-space
Summer News: Recent Hires, Promotions, and Projects
Welcome to Team 360!
Alex Fornoff – Project Engineer
Alex joined 360 Engineering in January, with experience in construction working for a mechanical and plumbing contractor. He is a Colorado School of Mines graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. On why he chose this career, “I chose mechanical engineering as a profession because of the broad range of applications. Many systems can be encountered in the world, and having that deeper understanding is very appealing to me.” Outside of work, Alex is passionate about skiing. He grew up near Philadelphia, and skiing was a driving force to coming to Colorado.
Ryan Taylor – Project Engineer
Ryan joined 360 Engineering in February with a robust knowledge of current software, including 3D SolidWorks modeling and NX 12 3D. He also earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and was on the Dean’s List. Ryan chose mechanical engineering because “I enjoy the process of problem-solving and implementing the best/most efficient designs.” Ryan grew up in Golden, Colorado, and his interests outside of work include cars, motorcycle riding (on and off-road), and snowboarding.
Meghan Stumpf – Administrative Coordinator
Meghan joined our team in March, right when COVID-19 ramped up, and we were working from home, she made it through her first months corresponding with everyone in Microsoft Teams. She is a graduate of Culver-Stockton College in Missouri, with a B.A. in Communication, emphasis in Media. Meghan’s recent experience includes working in the non-profit and public sectors. At her first job out of college, Meghan worked in several positions at a TV station, including as a weather anchor. She grew up in Quincy, Illinois, and her side-gig is acting, a passion she’s been pursuing since 9 years old.
Promotions
Joe Wittenberg, PE (CO) – Project Manager
Joe joined 360 Engineering in 2016 as a project engineer and has developed into a leader in the firm. He is a respected mentor and a skilled manager of projects of all sizes, maintaining close design team coordination, project schedules, and budgets. His market sector expertise ranges from education, municipal, and the federal government to commercial buildings and workplaces. Read More.
Ryan Dunne, PE (CO) – Project Manager
Ryan joined 360 Engineering in 2017. With a technical engineering sales background, he is a client-focused mechanical engineer experienced in systems design, equipment selection, systems troubleshooting, and testing, and project management from conception through design and commissioning. Ryan has executed projects in public and private sectors, with experience in aviation, public safety, laboratories, commercial buildings, and office spaces. Read More.
Kerri Zoetewey – Senior Project Engineer
Kerri joined 360 Engineering in 2018 and has close to 20 years of mechanical engineering experience overall. She has worked on a wide-range of project types, including tenant finish, office buildings, retail, restaurants, churches, and schools. As a Senior Project Engineer, Kerri plays a key role in seeing projects from concept through design and construction. She is responsible for coordinating with the design team and conducting all associated field investigations, calculations, equipment selections, layout, and drafting. Read More.
Brennen Guy – Project Engineer II
Brennen joined the 360 Engineering team in 2018, bringing his passion for mechanical engineering design to every project. Brennen finds it satisfying to see a project through the stages of concept to construction, especially knowing other people will benefit from a design he was a part of. He also enjoys being constantly challenged with tasks that are logic and math-based. As a Project Engineer, Brennen’s focus includes field investigations, calculations, equipment selections and layout, and drafting.
Recent Project Highlights
Crocs – Corporate Headquarters
Read about Crocs new home away from home.
Mechanical and plumbing design for Crocs new 88,000-square-foot headquarters in Broomfield, CO.
Client: Venture Architecture
Denver Botanic Gardens – Freyer-Newman Center
Read about the new Center for Science, Art, and Education.
Plumbing design for the new 50,000-square-foot Freyer-Newman Center, and renovation of lower-level at Boettcher Memorial in Denver, CO.
Client: Davis Partnership Architects
16 Market Square – New Cooling Tower
Read about the 16 Market Square Cooling Tower Replacement.
Mechanical design and commissioning for a cooling tower replacement at a 260,000-square-foot building in Denver, CO.
Client: Lincoln Properties
New Office Location
Also, just in case you haven’t heard, we moved to a new office location in January:
751 Pine Ridge Rd, Suite 360
Golden, CO 80403
Maintaining Positive Employee Morale and Engagement During COVID-19
The 360 Engineering Team has been working from home for a few weeks now, and it’s been quite a change for the staff. While some of us have “furry coworkers” at home to keep us company during the day, it’s a priority to make sure the team is staying connected throughout the week, and that we keep employee morale up during these unprecedented times.
One of the ways we are working towards this is by introducing Bonusly, an employee recognition, and rewards program. Bonusly works through peer to peer recognition with “points” you award to your teammates. It’s been a lot of fun so far. You can add GIFs to your post (my favorite part). As you earn points from your peers, you can spend them on gift cards, donate them to charity, or purchase a custom reward.
We’re all staying connected while working from home through Microsoft Teams. Teams allows us to continue regular staff meetings via video conferencing. And there are also great features that we’ve utilized, like the chat function, which is where we share updates on projects or more light-hearted things like sharing tips for brewing better coffee at home.
We also continue to have lunch-and-learns, though virtually, hosted on a rotating basis between the teams on staff. Even when working remotely, we feel it’s valuable to continue our professional development opportunities.
We hope all of our friends and colleagues are staying safe and healthy.
Meghan Stumpf
Administrative Coordinator
360 Engineering, Inc.
360 Engineering in the Community: DPS CareerConnect
Last week, some of our engineers had the pleasure of working with 9th-grade students at Denver Public Schools’ East High School in their 95-minute Introduction to Engineering class. It turned out to be a great learning experience for the students and us! Our first class was a success, but we’re looking forward to honing-in our demonstrations for the next one.
Through school-based and work-based learning, the CareerConnect program, “… gives DPS students early exposure to thousands of career options as they learn more about their own passions and interests.” The Xplore Industry track provides students with their first look into specific career opportunities. We were able to give these freshmen an inside look into the career of mechanical engineering consulting and design.
Our engineers began class with a brief introduction to 360 Engineering, HVAC, heat transfer types, load calculations, and equipment selection. Next, we provided a more interactive experience with two breakout sessions; how air handing equipment works and the benefits of energy modeling. For each breakout, we had demonstrations and handouts to keep things fun and interesting. These smaller groups also gave the students a chance to participate and ask questions. Finally, we ended with a quick Q&A session.
We want to thank East High School Engineering Teacher, Diego Bonta, and DPS CareerConnect’s Regional Coordinator, Courtney Ward, for integrating 360 Engineering into the program. If you’re interested in participating or learning more about CareerConnect; email careerandcollegesuccess@dpsk12.org
A Few of Our Favorite Projects in 2019
With so many great projects in 2019, it was hard to pick just a few. Here are some of our favorites that are in the works, or just finishing up.
Waggener Farm Park Recreation Center
“The WFP project has been my favorite project to work on in 2019 because of the many considerations and complications involved in designing around the various environments inside of a large recreation center.”
Zach Burgess / Project Engineer
Architect: Barker Rinker Seacat
Location: Berthoud, Colorado
National Park Service – Death Valley Scotty’s Castle
“I liked this project because it had a variety of different mechanical systems (boiler, chiller, cooling tower, air handlers) and environmental conditions that made equipment selection unique (high outdoor temperatures, dusty/gritty air, historic appearance that we needed to maintain).”
Joe Wittenberg / Project Engineer
Architect: Anderson Hallas Architects
Location: Inyo County, California
NWC Stockyards and Stockyards Event Center
“It will be the most high profile project of my career as it will be a highly visible project in the city.”
Kerri Zoetewey / Project Engineer
Architect: HKS
Location: Denver, Colorado
DEN B-East and C-East Concourse Expansions
“I liked the project because it was a great opportunity and learning experience to work on a large, high profile project with such a professionally diverse and multidiscipline architecture/engineering team.”
Ryan Dunne, PE (CO) / Project Engineer
Architect: Jacobs
Location: Denver, Colorado
Denver Public Schools- Holm Elementary School
“The lack of daylighting on the project required the architect to be creative in the classroom layouts. This required significant coordination of walls to structure with HVAC ductwork layout.”
Denise M. Dihle, PE / President
Architect: Anderson Mason Dale
Location: Denver, Colorado
National Park Service – Curecanti Elk Creek Visitor Center
“This is one is my favorite because it is one of the first larger scale projects I’ve worked on.”
Ben Smiley / Project Engineer
Architect: Anderson Hallas Architects
Location: Gunnison, Colorado