2013 40 Under 40: Brett Griffin, 32

Brett Griffin, PE, LEED AP, 32

Senior Associate/Mechanical Engineer, ESD, Chicago

University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, BS Mechanical Engineering

Brett Griffin is committed to both his work and his family. After starting his career at ESD 7 years ago, he swiftly went from a staff employee to a senior associate. He currently serves as one of the top representatives for the firm, using his experience with design and commissioning of mechanical chilled water and air handling systems ranging from tenant projects to several-thousand-ton main air conditioning plants. Griffin’s leadership on the Allstate Greenfield Data Center in Rochelle, Ill., helped win the 2009 ASHRAE Excellence in Engineering Award in the Chicago chapter, and the ASHRAE First Place Regional Technology Award in 2011 for its ability to support emerging technologies through protecting mission critical systems, maximum ease of operation, and cost control. His most notable design accomplishments as a lead mechanical engineer are for the Langham Hotel project in Chicago and the Digital Realty (DLR) Chicago suburb data center campus. The Langham Hotel is a LEED Gold 400-plus guestroom, five-star hotel located in one of Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe’s historic landmark buildings. The DLR data center campus is an energy-efficient, modular, scalable design designed to fit the client’s business model, providing it with flexibility, speed to market, and the ability to expand. But Griffin’s position at ESD has led to more than professional success. Having met his wife, Cara, while working at the firm, Griffin now enjoys cooking and running races with her.

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