In response to a request for qualifications for a prospective project, the architect assembles a project team of mechanical, electrical, plumbing…

The consultant team described—Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection (MEP/FP)—constitutes the standard engineering disciplines required for a new, fully-serviced building. A new K-12 school is a complex institutional project that necessitates comprehensive design for HVAC, power and lighting, water and sanitation, and life safety systems (e.g., sprinklers, fire alarms) to meet building codes and functional requirements. The assembly of this full MEP/FP team at the qualifications stage is a clear indicator of a project involving the design and construction of a new, occupied building like a school.

B. a research university campus master plan

A master plan is a high-level planning document; its primary consultants are typically planners, civil engineers, and landscape architects, not building systems engineers.

C. the renovation of a commercial office building

While a major renovation would require this team, the term "renovation" is broad and could be minor, not necessarily requiring all four disciplines.

D. seismic upgrades of a 1950s era hospital

The lead and primary consultant for a seismic upgrade project is a structural engineer; the MEP/FP team plays a secondary, supporting role.

1. The American Institute of Architects. (2014). The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice (15th ed.). Wiley.

Section 10.2, Managing the Project Team, p. 596: This section explicitly states, "For a typical building project, the architect’s consultants will include structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineers..." It establishes this team as standard for a "typical building project," for which a new school is a prime example. Fire protection engineering is a standard requirement for institutional occupancies like schools.

2. AIA Document B101–2017, Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect.

Article 3, Scope of Architect's Basic Services: This article outlines the architect's responsibility to coordinate the services of consultants, including structural, mechanical, and electrical engineers, which are fundamental to the design of a new building. The commentary on B101 clarifies that this team is typical for most building projects.

3. University of Michigan, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. (Courseware for ARCH 583: Professional Practice).

Course materials on project team formation emphasize that for new institutional or commercial buildings, the architect's primary consultants are the structural engineer and the MEP/FP engineering team, assembled at the project's outset to respond to qualifications requests and develop the design.