Kevin Pfeiffer
PE, LEED AP | Partner
Kevin Pfeiffer, PE, LEED AP serves as a Partner in the Houston office of DBR and joined the firm in 2000 immediately after his graduation from Kansas State University. A man who refuses to let his clients down, once Kevin starts working for a client, they never ask for anybody else. His Midwest work-ethic earns his team and the firm respect. His performance is steadfast and solid through and through, keeping his clients constantly impressed. He takes pride in training up his staff so that they too can give the client the best, and he takes pride in seeing a project successfully completed.
Kevin and his wife have two young boys who keep things exciting. A former wrestler in high school, Kevin now enjoys horsing around with his boys. When he’s not putting his best efforts into projects, he is being the big kid he still is at heart.
Q&A with Kevin:
Q: What do you love most about being an engineer?
A: I have always enjoyed building and designing. At an early age, I loved using building blocks, or Lincoln Logs to create hidden pathways for marbles to cascade through them. In middle school, I was able to take a drafting class which introduced me to drawing section views, isometric views, and perspective views. I enjoy problem-solving and working as a team to provide a collaborative, coordinated design that exceeds the client’s expectations. Being an engineer has allowed me to continue my love of building and designing that preoccupied my childhood imagination. DBR has provided me with the opportunity to work on a vast variety of projects. I love driving past a building and pointing out to friends or family that we were involved in the design and construction of a particular project. I love assisting younger engineers with their designs and expanding their knowledge. But most of all, I love providing excellent service to clients, so we are awarded their next project.
Q: How do you ensure you and your team deliver or exceed customer expectations?
A: We should never wait for the architect to ask us questions. When a question is asked, we should respond quickly with a proposed solution or options to best answer the question. A DoBefoRe should be provided at the very beginning of a project to assist in the design and coordination prior to the team beginning their schematic design drawings. The DoBefoRe should be shared with the architect to facilitate the design and space requirements for our MEPT systems. Regular team coordination meetings should be conducted to make sure that we are progressing according to the schedule and so that disciplines can share any concerns or discuss any changes that have occurred. We should always meet the deadlines established by the architect or owner. It would be best to deliver the drawing package or shop drawings a day early, if possible. Whenever an issue does come up, or we are not able to meet a deadline for any reason, we need to call the architect to discuss. We should always try to answer the phone when clients call or call them back within 5 minutes if we are currently on the phone. Never deliver bad news via email. Exceeding client’s expectations will help us get their next project.
Q: As DBR continues to grow, what advice do you give to up and coming new hires to be successful?
A: I recommend that all new hires do their best to complete their projects/tasks prior to the established due dates. This provides the engineers/supervisors with adequate time to review the work. I remember that when I first began designing, it always took twice as long to finish a task than I thought it would. When red marks are received from the engineers or quality control group, designers should make sure that each comment is addressed. This can be accomplished by highlighting each comment as it is incorporated into the drawing set. Designers/staff should ask questions if they are unclear on how to address a comment. They should make sure they are comfortable with their mentor and ask any questions that arise. Designers/staff should make sure to follow the DBR standards and become familiar with the client’s standards to make sure that they are incorporated properly into the projects. If an employee has any time available to assist others, they should make sure to let their supervisor know.
When I started, DBR had just opened the doors of our second office. We now have 6 offices and are looking to continue to grow. There is a lot of opportunity for admin staff, marketing, accounting, and designers to grow with DBR.
Hero image at top of page:
Energy Tower Development | Huitt-Zollars | Houston, Texas
Have questions? Give Kevin a call:
Kevin Pfeiffer, PE, LEED AP
Partner
713.914.0888
[email protected]