Civil Engineering | Paradigm Engineers & Consultants
Paradigm Engineers and Consultants, PLLC is proud to provide outstanding Civil Engineering services throughout the North Florida and South Georgia areas. Although we are based in Tallahassee, Florida, we have expertise all through the region including the Big Bend and Panhandle areas. Our projects are typically in the land development, municipal infrastructure and architectural sectors of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry.
Our philosophy is that Civil Engineering is part science and part art. At its essence, Civil Engineering is the discipline of designing support systems to provide for basic necessities of civilization. These needs can include drinking water supply, wastewater and solid waste disposal, transportation, drainage, stormwater management, flood protection and structural design. If designed well, most Civil Engineering projects can and should be unobtrusive. Civil engineering efforts should strive to blend in with, or even enhance, the surrounding environment. Civil works that are too obvious are typically viewed as unattractive or undesirable by the client and general public. We at Paradigm Engineers and Consultants take pride in providing solidly designed projects which are both cost effective and enhance the overall project, not take away from it.
Another philosophy held firmly by Paradigm Engineers and Consultants is listening to the needs of our clients. Our goal is to produce a design that meets the client’s request, yet will not be needlessly unaffordable. In order to do this, we implement the use of value engineering (VE). In general, VE is defined as a detailed analysis of the specific functions of a project, system, building, and/or facility, which is directed at improving performance, reliability, quality, safety, and costs – both initial and life cycle. Depending on the client’s needs, the analysis can be focused on varying beneficial aspects of VE. For instance, if the project requirements specify a system design life of at least 25-years, the material selections should not include those that last for hundreds of years if the cost is significantly higher. Conversely, if a design must have a high degree of reliability, the material selection or construction technique will need careful consideration. Understanding and meeting the client’s needs are fundamental to a successful project.
Paradigm Engineers and Consultants’ managing partners are all USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, LEED AP, certified. Sustainable and “green” design practices can be an important design element when practicable. Sustainable site practices can greatly reduce maintenance and operating costs, enhance the indoor and outdoor environmental comfort and generally provide a more satisfying product for the end user. Conservation of resources, recycling and use of local materials, where possible, can not only represent a significant cost savings to the client, but will also provide a better tomorrow for our future generations.
One of our projects for which LEED certification was obtained is the American Red Cross Capital Area Headquarters in Tallahassee, Florida. This was the very first American Red Cross facility in the country to receive this distinguished designation. They are able to use the certification to promote the new facility and raise more money via increased donations. Additionally, life cycle cost for their facility will be less due the use of sustainable practices. For example, landscaping materials were chosen which have a low need for fertilizer and no need for irrigation. Throughout the parking facilities, generous use of landscape islands with shade trees keep the heat island effect to a minimum, thereby lowering the cost of cooling the building during the summer.
The civil engineering designs provided by Paradigm Engineers and Consultants are second to none. Our experience, attention to the client’s needs, use of value engineering and our consideration of sustainable practices enable us to provide our clients with a product that is cost effective, attractive, environmentally conscious, as well as end user rewarding.
