Without hesitation, the founder of Optima Engineering names the mixed-use Villages at Lake Norman as the firm’s most engaging project.
Keith Pehl, Optima president, calls the 110-acre development "very different" because so much of its 3.5 million square feet are subterranean, including loading docks and parking. It’s quite an exercise to ventilate such space, make it water tight, properly light it—and stay within budget.
Pehl relishes in stiff tests for his 16-year-old company that specializes in electrical, mechanical and plumbing engineering as well as fire protection and lighting design, with a focus on green precepts.
"It’s fun to do something that is hard and challenging," Pehl says. "We strive to hire good quality engineers and retain them. Part of that is challenging them, and part of that is getting challenging projects."
