The role and mandate of any property engineering department is the
protection of the building’s/owner’s assets; the structure from the façade or building envelope, to the integrity of the floors, walls, ceilings and all of the furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) contained therein. This includes the electrical transformers and the distribution throughout, the domestic water distribution and sewage, the heating-ventilation-air conditioning system, (HVAC), the fire alarm system and fire safety components, the vertical transportation system (elevators), the property surroundings like parking and landscaping and pest control. Utility management such as electrical, gas, steam, water. Kitchen and laundry equipment. Lighting and sound systems and on and on.
The items in the preceding paragraph I like to refer to as the base building system or the physical plant as these components form the basis of all properties whether office or hotel or apartment block. A building is a building. The end use or purpose of the building is what differentiates how the engineering department is managed, and indeed, how the building is operated.
Aside from the base building, office buildings are quite easier to maintain. Generally, offices and shops within commercial buildings are subject to various lease arrangements, with the tenant often being responsible for all maintenance and repairs within their space and proportionate costs of the utilities and taxes . The property operators are usually only responsible for the base building and common areas. The same concept being applied to apartments and condominiums.
The important element here is what is contained within the lease or rental agreement. Office building hours are usually fixed, say, from 7:00am to 6:00pm; electronically controlled locks securing every outside door and alarm systems readied by time clocks. Security guards sweeping all areas at random and responding to any alarm calls. Weekends are generally in lock-down mode 24hrs a day. The after hours involvement of building staff are the building cleaners, normally contracted, however, engineering is rarely called for after hour situations. Tenants that would use their offices during off base building hours may contract for HVAC services and pay for the cost.
Hotels are much more extensive and demanding. The engineering department has the responsibility for everything in the building as well. Depending on the organizational structure of the hotel, some elements are assigned to other departments. The Security or Loss Prevention department may take on the task of fire systems but ultimately this is the responsibility of the engineering department as the building operators to monitor for regulatory compliance.
Hotels have often been given the analogy of a cruise ship or a hospital in that the operation is 24 – 7. Twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. When the guests are sound asleep the systems of the building continue to operate. The heating and ventilation units are running, the domestic hot water is being heated, the laundry may be operating, the night cleaners making their rounds, desk clerks and night auditors all doing what they have to do. Behind the scenes, there is a flurry of activity, and everything has to work so that everyone can do their jobs and the guests are safe and comfortable.
Without minimizing the contribution of other departments, of which there may be as many as ten or more, the bottom line is if there is no engineering department there is no hotel. Take away those services like hot water or elevators, heating or cooling, electricity, kitchen equipment, laundry equipment etc, you simply would have no customers. When everything is working the next most significant department of course is housekeeping whose efforts keep the property clean and attractive, tending to the guests comfort in their rooms. Removing a restaurant from the system will not close the hotel, or closing the bar or lounge will not cause the hotel to cease operations. Again, all departments should contribute to a seamless operation where the guest comfort and safety and satisfaction are paramount.
The pages following will attempt to shed some light on the various segments of hotel engineering although some aspects are interrelated and not really separable. Hopefully, by narrowing the focus the reader will gain a rudimentary or cursory understanding of the role of the engineering department.
