MKE and Associates, Inc.

History and ownership

• Founded in 1979 as Martinson and Knudsen Engineering, a municipal/industrial controls firm.
• Purchased and restructured in 1992.
• Owned by two principals: Brendan Arnold, P.E. (Mechanical Principal) and Stephen Lockhart, P.E. (Electrical Principal).

Team

• Staffed by licensed mechanical and electrical engineers, designers, and administrative personnel (approximately mid‑20s staff total as of the most recent site information).
• Principals are closely involved in projects from conceptual design through construction completion, including client contact, quality assurance, and review of plans and specifications.

Services focus

MKE focuses on planning and design for:

• Mechanical systems (HVAC, plumbing, and related systems).
• Electrical power and lighting systems.
• Telecommunications and low‑voltage systems.

Typical clients and facilities

MKE works on projects of many sizes and levels of complexity, including:

• Government agencies (federal, state, local, including military and enforcement).
• Educational facilities (K‑12 and higher education).
• Mixed‑use residential buildings (from affordable housing to high‑rise apartments and condominiums).
• Commercial and retail developments.
• High‑piled storage facilities.
• Maintenance and manufacturing shops.
• Specialty industrial facilities.
• LEED and other green building / sustainable projects.
• High‑tech clean rooms.

Geographic practice area

MKE practices in several western states. Licensure mentioned on the website includes:

• Mechanical engineering: Oregon and Washington.
• Electrical engineering: Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, and Nevada.

• Power system design, including distribution and emergency generation.
• Lighting system design for interior spaces, exterior areas, public streets, sports fields, and parks.
• Relay controls, emergency lighting, and specialty lighting applications.

Low‑voltage and special systems

• Low‑voltage system design, including fire alarm, security, nurse call, paging, and synchronized clocks.
• Data, telephone, audio/visual, and related communications systems.
• Coordination of utility services for power, telephone, and cable TV.

Evaluations and studies

• Electrical system evaluations of existing buildings.
• Total energy surveys for municipal, industrial, and commercial facilities.
• Cost estimates and related forensic investigations.
• Expert witness services where electrical systems expertise is required.

MKE provides mechanical engineering design and consulting services for new construction, remodels, and building system upgrades.

Mechanical services

• Plumbing systems design for domestic water, sanitary, chemical waste, and storm drainage.
• Specification documents for fire protection systems, including ESFR and AFFF.
• HVAC system design for air‑side and water‑side systems, including central plants.
• Precise temperature, humidity, and filtration control for specialized environments.
• Design of chemical and particulate exhaust systems.
• Computer‑aided pipe stress analysis for temperature and seismic conditions.
• Cost estimates and energy / life‑cycle cost studies.
• Related forensic investigations and reports.

Special mechanical expertise

MKE has specialty experience in:

• Clean rooms.
• Chemical laboratories.
• Specialty and scrubbed exhaust systems.
• Medical and process gases.

MKE designs telecommunications and low‑voltage infrastructure to support modern building communication needs.

Telecommunications services

• Design for voice, video, and data cabling systems.
• Design of audio/visual systems and related infrastructure.
• Implementation planning for voice, video, and data network infrastructure.
• Structured cabling layouts for equipment rooms.
• Indoor fiber and copper cabling.
• Outdoor plant cabling.

• Begin with detailed conversations to clarify the client's needs and project goals.
• When appropriate, engage maintenance and user staff to understand operational requirements.

2. Establish a budget

• Work with the client to confirm or help develop a realistic budget.
• Identify and flag any gaps between scope and budget early, and discuss value‑engineering options as needed.

3. Evaluate options

• Present multiple system options where appropriate, outlining pros and cons, life‑cycle costs, and first costs.
• Provide clear explanations of system performance and capabilities so expectations match likely outcomes.

4. Verify costs

• Just before construction documents are finalized, re‑check that the project remains aligned with the agreed scope and budget.

5. Coordinate regularly

• Emphasize regular coordination meetings with key disciplines (typically at 30%, 60%, and 90% design and as needed).
• Conduct in‑house reviews before client reviews to minimize conflicts and change orders.

6. Build strong working relationships

• Maintain quick, helpful responses to questions during construction.
• Treat contractors as partners to help field work proceed smoothly.

Phone 503-892-1188

Office hours Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–5:00 pm (Pacific Time).

How to contact us

• Call during office hours.
• Use the email/contact button on our website to send a message; a staff member will respond as soon as practical.

Project experience includes:

• Residential and mixed‑use residential buildings.
• Commercial and retail developments.
• Municipal and government facilities.
• Sustainable and green building projects.
• Telecommunications and high‑tech facilities.
• Educational buildings.
• Transportation‑related facilities.
• Specialty and industrial projects.

Representative projects mentioned on the website

Vancouver Waterfront, Block 6 – Vancouver, Washington

• Part of a 20‑block, 32‑acre waterfront development on the Columbia River.
• Includes a seven‑story office building and a six‑story residential building with ground‑floor retail.
• MKE provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering services as part of the design team.

Kalama Interpretive Center – Kalama, Washington

• Features an energy‑efficient VRF HVAC system with energy recovery ventilation.
• Quiet operation suitable for office and interpretive functions.
• Exposed spiral ductwork used as a design feature.
• Interior LED lighting with digital controls (individual area control, occupancy sensors, automated daylight dimming).
• Site lighting with energy‑efficient LED fixtures, designed to be Dark Sky compliant.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington – Heights OK 2 Clubhouse

• New clubhouse facility in Vancouver, Washington.
• Designed to meet LEED 2009 Silver certification.
• Approximately 30% water use reduction compared to standard fixtures.
• High‑efficiency rooftop HVAC equipment.
• Approximately 30% lighting energy reduction versus code using LED fixtures and digital controls.
• Dark Sky compliant LED site lighting.

West Parc in Bethany Village – Senior living community

• Senior living community in Bethany Village.
• MKE provided building systems design services as part of the project team.

Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess.