ColeBreit Engineering Welcomes Daniel Grivakis
Daniel Grivakis is only a couple of weeks into his role as Senior Mechanical Engineer in ColeBreit's Portland office, and he's already diving into a full slate of public school projects. Supporting ongoing projects, Daniel is helping lead system design on several Portland-area schools while also playing a key role in growing the firm's Northwest footprint.
Daniel's first assignments span several school districts, each with its own mix of mechanical systems to design and coordinate. "Stepping into some of the Portland public school projects, including Beach Elementary School, Centennial School District, Park Lane, and Oliver Middle School," he says, describing projects that draw on both hydronic and air-side system design, from VAV systems to chilled water and hot water central plants.
He sees his role in the Portland office as twofold: leading that technical work while also building capacity for the team around him. "Being that senior mechanical engineer in the office, I look forward to working with emerging engineers to mentor and lead while supporting the ongoing work of projects mechanically."
Daniel's path into mechanical engineering wasn't linear. He started in the MEP field in 2005 as an electrical drafter while enrolled at Boston Architectural College, initially aiming for a career on the architectural side of the industry. After a few years in the field, he shifted his focus to mechanical engineering and eventually earned his degree from Northeastern University while working full-time.
That combination of coursework and hands-on experience gave him exposure to a wide range of project types and firm sizes, from small shops of fewer than ten people to corporations employing more than five thousand. His portfolio includes high-end single-family residential, higher education and K-12 academic work, lab and biopharma clean room design, public sector projects, and, more recently, sustainable design and decarbonization work.
Daniel moved to the Pacific Northwest from the Boston area to support his wife's business pursuits, bringing decades of engineering experience west with him. "Being in the engineering world, it's a pretty easy transition from one coast to the other," he says, though he's already noticed real differences between the two markets. Portland's climate is considerably milder than what he dealt with in Massachusetts, and the energy code requirements he's now designing to are less stringent than what he navigated back East – giving him a solid knowledge base to pull from as codes adapt and progress in our region.
Ask Daniel how he approaches a design problem, and the conversation quickly turns to the people who will actually use the space. "I like to focus on what the end user needs for the project and also making sure that the design is compliant," he says. That means resisting the urge to over-engineer a system for its own sake and instead keeping a close eye on code compliance and sustainable design practice throughout.
That end-user focus looks different depending on the project. On luxury residential work, the challenge often comes down to aesthetics. "You're going to have to take into account the architectural aesthetic of the building, and that can provide some unique challenges, like where are you hiding things so that what you design mechanically blends in with the architecture," he explains, pointing to ductwork and piping as the backbone systems that have to disappear into the building's design. On school projects, the priority shifts to acoustics, designing systems that keep classroom noise to a minimum so teachers and students can hear each other clearly.
Daniel is already noticing what sets ColeBreit's culture apart. "There's a value on communicating that has stood out, and the accountability as well," he says. "It seems like there's a value on collaboration and hearing each other's opinions and maintaining open communication during our projects." He describes the overall environment as warm and welcoming, a strong first impression for someone still finding his footing in a new office and a new region.
Daniel and his wife have two young boys, ages 10 and 3, who keep him busy outside of work. When he gets a break, he heads outdoors to fish and hike, a natural fit for a region known for its trail access and green space, including Portland's own Forest Park.
Daniel is especially drawn to science and technology projects within higher education. "The reason higher ed is so attractive is because of the fact that it touches on multiple project sectors at the same time. You can have a project that overlaps between the commercial, the sciences, and also even residential pretty easily."
Daniel is still getting his bearings, but one milestone is already on the calendar. He's working to get his professional engineering license recognized in Oregon and Washington, a process that starts with updating his records through NCEES before applying to each state board. The final step, the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, is scheduled for January.
As ColeBreit continues building out its Portland presence, Daniel brings two decades of cross-sector mechanical engineering experience and a mentorship mindset that will help shape the office's next chapter.
