Not All Child’s Play – Why You Need the Right MEP Firm for Your Family Fun Center

Whether during your teenage years, a family outing or a company retreat, you’ve likely visited a family fun center or family entertainment center (FEC).

Mini-golf courses, laser tag centers, Go-Kart tracks and bowling alleys are all examples of different FECs. Family fun centers, which have grown rapidly in popularity over the years as a means to bond with friends and family, offer all these attractions in one place so anyone, from your CEO to your five-year-old, can find something fun to do.

As you can imagine, a single space that holds such a variety of applications — whether it’s arcade games, a laser tag arena, bowling alleys or a full kitchen and restaurant — is very complex to design and build. It requires highly technical design decisions, and each design element has an impact on many others.

What goes into an FEC?

So how do so many FECs get built successfully?

It starts with a strong foundation: mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering, which happen to be our sweet spot. Family fun centers’ unique architectural designs feature the latest amenities for customers – but they also require zoned power, intricate lighting, multiple kitchens, controlled acoustics and more, all of which MEP engineering provides.

MEP designs are the backdrop of a customer’s good time. When it comes to building FECs, details are everything. Attractions like these require MEP engineering in areas such as:

• Restaurant
  • Commercial kitchen ventilation
  • Kitchen hood application
  • Grease waste solutions

• Indoor Go-Kart track
  • Cold and hot climate HVAC
  • Multi-story track lighting
  • Power Distribution

• Laser tag
  • Lighting design and documentation
  • Lighting controls design and documentation
  • Energy code and documentation

Beyond the attraction spaces, MEP engineers are the ones responsible for designing efficient systems that will flow throughout the entire building, such as:

• Heating and cooling water systems
• Electrical system design
• Direct digital control systems for heating, ventilating and air conditioning devices

Taking all of these different factors into consideration, MEP engineering is a critical part of FEC construction projects because it’s responsible for creating long-term and effective systems that will make the entire building, including its variety of attractions, inhabitable and enjoyable.

The next time you take your family to enjoy some Go-Karting or arcade games, you can remember that you have MEP designers and engineers to thank for making the magic happen.

Need an MEP engineer for your FEC?

In some cases, Dialectic Engineering specifically has provided MEP designs for family fun centers, like Andretti Indoor Karting & Games and Main Event.  Dialectic designers consider every aspect of a project, from cost-effectiveness and sustainability to state and

local building codes, to ensure even the most detailed of projects exceed client expectations.

Contact Dialectic to learn how we can provide your FEC with the detailed MEP design it needs.