The True Cost of Undersized or Oversized MEP Systems

Great architecture rarely fails all at once. More often, it gets chipped away over time — a ceiling drops here, a soffit appears there, a mechanical room grows just enough to squeeze a space that once felt right.

By the time these changes show up, the architectural concept is usually well established. The design intent was clear. The plan worked. And yet, late-stage coordination forces compromises that no one originally envisioned.

In most cases, this isn’t the result of poor design. It’s the result of coordination happening after design momentum has already been built.

Why MEP Coordination Impacts Architecture So Directly

Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are largely invisible in the earliest stages of design. At that point, they exist as assumptions — approximate loads, typical system sizes, conceptual routing paths.

As a project progresses, those assumptions become real systems with real volume. Ductwork occupies ceiling depth. Electrical rooms require working clearances. Plumbing stacks claim vertical space.

If these realities are only fully resolved later in design, architecture often becomes the place where adjustments are absorbed. Ceilings are lowered. Layouts shift. Room proportions change.

Early coordination doesn’t restrict architectural freedom — it protects it by making constraints visible while there are still choices.

Where Coordination Commonly Breaks Down

Ceilings and Structure

Ceiling heights are often established before systems are fully developed. Early system sizing may be based on preliminary loads, only to increase as design advances.

When structure, lighting, fire protection, and air distribution all compete for limited depth, small changes can have an outsized impact on the finished space.

Mechanical and Electrical Rooms

Equipment rooms are frequently treated as flexible space early in planning. As equipment selections are finalized, required clearances, access paths, and code-driven working space become more defined.

Without early validation, these rooms often expand later — sometimes at the expense of usable or leasable area.

Shafts and Vertical Distribution

Vertical shafts are typically located early, but their sizing is often based on incomplete information. As plumbing, exhaust, and electrical systems are routed, shaft congestion can appear quickly.

Once floor plans are established, adjusting shaft size or location becomes increasingly difficult.

Making Coordination More Predictable

The most successful projects share one common trait: they surface constraints early, while the design still has flexibility.

That often means:

• Developing systems early enough to understand real spatial impact

• Testing layouts against ceilings, structure, and architectural priorities

• Coordinating across disciplines before assumptions become fixed

When teams take this approach, coordination becomes proactive instead of reactive — and design intent is far easier to preserve.

How This Plays Out by Project Type

Multifamily

In multifamily projects, repetition amplifies coordination challenges. A small ceiling conflict on one level can repeat dozens of times throughout a building.

Early system awareness helps maintain floor-to-floor efficiency and reduces late-stage changes that affect multiple units at once.

Commercial and Office

Commercial projects often prioritize ceiling height, lighting quality, and long-term flexibility. These goals require careful alignment between architectural intent and building systems.

Projects tend to run more smoothly when those conversations happen early, before layouts are locked in.

Tenant Improvement Projects

Tenant improvement projects operate within fixed constraints — existing structure, base-building systems, and limited ceiling space.

Understanding those limitations early helps teams adapt design solutions efficiently and avoid surprises during construction.

Practical Coordination Strategies That Work

Across project types, the most effective teams tend to:

• Validate system space requirements early

• Confirm room and shaft sizing before layouts are finalized

• Maintain regular coordination touchpoints as design progresses

These steps reduce rework, protect architectural intent, and support more predictable project outcomes.

A Collaborative Path Forward

The projects that feel the most cohesive aren’t the result of late corrections. They’re the result of early collaboration.

When MEP coordination is treated as a design input rather than a downstream task, architecture doesn’t have to give up what made the project strong in the first place. Systems become part of the solution, not a surprise to manage later.

The goal isn’t more coordination for its own sake — it’s better outcomes for everyone involved.