By Natalie Bruckner Photos by KD Engineering
Today, the value that independent Testing, Adjusting & Balancing (TAB) services bring to our industry is well documented and understood. However, back in 1967, when Peter Kingsland and Alexander Douglas established KD Engineering Co., the idea was just being explored. It wasn’t until many years later that TAB certification standards would be set in place for the HVAC industry.
But Kingsland “K” and Douglas “D,” being the visionaries they were, saw early on the need for TAB services for the future success of the building mechanical and HVAC systems industry. They decided to take it upon themselves to be at the forefront of the movement and raise the industry’s bar.
“As engineers working in the mechanical design sector of the industry, they recognized the importance of TAB, and so they moved out west with their young families and started one of the first TAB agencies in British Columbia,” says Arno Tatto, president and general manager, who has been at KD Engineering now for more than 40 years. “Their philosophy was to build accountable, professional relationships with building owners, consultants, and contractors alike.”
In the 55 years that KD Engineering has been in business, it’s team has witnessed some big changes in the industry, and the business has weathered many economic storms. Yet it has continued to grow in size and reputation.
“Our ability as a company to evolve with the changes in the industry with the use of technology and by offering enhanced services has been key to our success,” Tatto says. “As an example, back in the early days we branched into compiling mechanical operating and maintenance manuals and started our commissioning division in 1979.”
But it’s more than that. KD Engineering understands that they are in the business of people, and that in order to succeed you need to take care of your team first—this principle has helped them with their recruitment efforts in this labour-force market shortage and with their retention. “The employees at KD Engineering come first!” Tatto says. “This is and will aways be our primary focus. I believe that with that policy, and with the support of our dedicated employees, we will be able to adjust to whatever comes our way.”
It’s a philosophy that has been at the core of the company since day one. Tatto says that the previous owner always treated him as part of the family, and this taught him a lot about how to treat employees with the respect that they deserve.
“I always have their back, like family,” Tatto says. “As part of that we are committed to providing excellent, long-term careers for our employees. TEAMKD is our brand. It is made up of junior through to senior individuals with engineering, technologist, and technician backgrounds encompassing well over 400 years of combined experience within the building industry.”
Interestingly, the core of TEAMKD are graduates of British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), including Tatto, who explains that, over several decades, BCIT has been a consistent source in producing solid candidates that are industry-ready to learn and train within the company’s field of work.
“We have been highly successful in recruiting many candidates over the years from various institutions and walks of life who have also became strong members of TEAMKD,” he says. “We are aways open to anyone who is willing to put in the effort and learn the skills needed to succeed at KD Engineering.”
This vast range and depth of skill has meant that KD Engineering has been involved in working on thousands of high-rise residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial projects in every corner of BC and the Yukon. They have also partnered up on many projects where they have been able to provide all their in-house services, which include LEED Commissioning Authority Services, mechanical commissioning agent services, TAB services, and also to compile the O&M manuals.
They are also first choice when it comes to complex projects and those that are making a real difference in our communities. Take the Teck Acute Care Centre at BC Children’s Hospital for example—a project that was ten years in the making and for which KD Engineering was tasked with providing mechanical balancing and commissioning services. The eight-storey facility is home to an expanded emergency department, state-of-the-art operating rooms, advanced diagnostic imaging facilities, a pediatric intensive care unit, an entire floor dedicated to oncology, as well as medical and surgical inpatient units with all private patient rooms.
Then there’s the Joseph & Rosalie Segal Family Health Centre, an eight-storey mental health and substance use facility on the Vancouver General Hospital campus that represents a major advance for mental health and substance use care in British Columbia. KD Engineering provided similarly comprehensive services on this project.
More recent notable projects include Parq Vancouver Casino Resort, Emily Carr University, SFU Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering (SE3P), and 745 Thurlow Street. Looking ahead, KD Engineering has some fascinating projects coming up and Tatto says they are looking forward to their future involvement with the Royal Columbian Hospital redevelopment Phase 2 and the Burnaby Hospital redevelopment project.
More than half a century after it first opened its doors, KD Engineering is more committed than ever to forge long-term relationships built on trust—whether that’s internally, with clients and fellow industry folk, or labour-management. “I have always maintained an open-door policy to encourage open and honest dialogue,” Tatto says. “It’s essential to our future success and the success of the industry as a whole.” ■
