Engineering a Better World One Project at a Time
Partnering with Global Innovators, Achieving Award-Winning Success
AEI’s cutting-edge engineering designs are powered by our clients’ bold missions, a harmony recognized in the 2023 ENR National Best of the Best Projects award program. Join us as we recap our three winners, celebrating the Microsoft Thermal Energy Center (TEC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), and the Mayo Clinic Arizona East Expansion, each a testament to our collaborative success.
The Microsoft Thermal Energy Center
How AEI's Award-Winning Projects Drive Innovation and Impact
Microsoft’s TEC, USDA's NBAF, and the Mayo Clinic Arizona East Expansion exemplify the impact of innovative engineering and close collaboration with leading brands and institutions. These nationally recognized projects highlight AEI’s ability to turn ambitious visions into groundbreaking realities, advancing corporate sustainability, strengthening national biosecurity, and elevating patient care.
USDA National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility
Mayo Clinic Arizona East Expansion
Each project showcases the innovation, expertise, and partnership that redefine excellence. By overcoming complex challenges and raising the bar, AEI empowers clients to achieve extraordinary outcomes while contributing to a better world. This recognition underscores AEI’s role as an industry leader, driving advancements in some of the world’s most vital sectors.
Solidifying Microsoft as a Champion in Innovation
Innovation and environmental responsibility converge in the Microsoft TEC, named 2023 ENR National Best of the Best Project of the Year. This groundbreaking all-electric district energy facility, designed to align with Microsoft’s carbon-neutral goals, stands as a testament to the possibilities of sustainable infrastructure.
By integrating advanced solutions like geo-exchange technology, thermal energy storage, and next-gen mechanical, electrical, and piping/plumbing (MEP) systems, the TEC combines energy efficiency and operational resilience, setting a new benchmark in sustainability for corporate campuses. As Engineer of Record, AEI engineered scalable, future-focused systems that reduce environmental impact while increasing operational performance, making the TEC a beacon for how large-scale tech companies can address sustainability challenges head-on.
Advancing U.S. Homeland Defense and Protecting the Nation's Food Supply
NBAF represents a critical milestone in U.S. biosecurity, earning the ENR National Best of the Best, Government/Public Building, and recognition as a Project of the Year finalist. As the only large-scale BSL-4 laboratory in the nation, it plays a vital role in safeguarding the U.S. food supply and agricultural economy. Its state-of-the-art design incorporates groundbreaking engineering solutions to ensure maximum containment and reliability, supporting sensitive research and fail-safe systems critical to national security.
AEI's MEP design ensures NBAF’s safety and performance with sophisticated pressurization and airflow strategies, HEPA filtration, dedicated piping systems, and sealed MEP systems at containment barriers. The facility is the first U.S. biocontainment facility to meet Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) tornado resistance standards and achieve LEED certification at any level, demonstrating unparalleled sustainability and resilience. With its energy-efficient systems and water conservation measures, NBAF sets a new benchmark for biocontainment innovation while highlighting AEI’s ability to deliver thoughtful and effective solutions to complex scientific challenges.
Equipping Mayo Clinic for Continued Growth and Evolving Healthcare Needs
Redefining world-class healthcare, the Mayo Clinic Arizona East Expansion exemplifies forward-thinking design and modernization. Recognized as the ENR National Best of the Best, Healthcare Project, this expansion anticipates future patient care needs while enhancing operational capabilities today. A symbol of Mayo Clinic’s commitment to excellence, the project incorporates sustainable infrastructure supporting immediate and long-term healthcare goals.
AEI worked closely with the project team to ensure continuous patient care on an active campus, employing an Integrated Project Delivery method that prioritized safety, efficiency, and seamless collaboration. The expansion modernizes critical facilities, including the fourth-floor mechanical penthouse and transplant, neurosciences, pulmonary, and regenerative medicine departments. AEI upgraded numerous MEP systems to meet high-rise code standards and improved energy efficiency, cooling, natural daylight, and wall insulation. The design integrates new floor plates for future vertical expansion, ensuring Mayo Clinic’s readiness to meet evolving healthcare demands while maintaining leadership in patient care.
Building on Success in the 2024 ENR Best Projects Awards Program
Our three 2023 ENR National Best of the Best award-winning projects highlight the power of collaboration with industry leaders and AEI’s engineering expertise in tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges. With seven AEI projects advancing in the 2024 ENR Best Projects Program, the path to even greater achievements is just beginning.
Spanning sectors like process and manufacturing, healthcare, and higher education, these projects demonstrate AEI’s commitment to creating solutions that drive progress and enhance lives. By pushing the boundaries of innovation and partnering with clients with bold visions, we set the stage for future breakthroughs that will shape industries and communities for years to come. Together, we’re engineering a better world, one project at a time.