“It is a profound privilege to be an engineer. We translate ideas into real, lasting advancements for the generations that follow us. Each project is another step in discovery, an opportunity to elevate health, and a call to be better stewards of our environment.”
Brett McQuillan leads the Building Performance Practice in AEI’s Phoenix office. He offers deep expertise in high-performance building system analysis, engineering, and design, with a primary focus on laboratories, healthcare facilities, and higher education environments.
Brett began his career after earning a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a Master of Science in Building Systems Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder. He joined AEI in 2015, where he has played a key role in advancing the firm’s building performance initiatives across the Southwest. His work has guided a wide range of projects toward ambitious performance goals, including numerous LEED Platinum–certified projects.
Through building performance simulation, ideation, and data-driven analysis, Brett provides design leadership that results in integrated, practical, and cost-effective solutions. His experience spans zero-net-energy and carbon-neutral design, decarbonization planning, greenhouse gas inventories, and advanced analysis of energy, water, and thermal comfort. He frequently evaluates both conventional and unconventional strategies to enhance system effectiveness.
Since 2020, Brett has expanded AEI’s Southwest planning practice through climate action, decarbonization, and campus utility planning for major universities across the region. He is an active participant in AEI’s climate-focused task force and the MEP 2040 movement, collaborating with clients to implement next-generation campus energy systems and resilient design strategies.