The best part is that the team is willing to listen and collaborate with us to make the design work, especially when we need solutions like maintaining a low profile while still making the engineering work. Overall service has been excellent, and we would definitely recommend Lam+Tea Engineering.
Project Type
Education
Location
Santa Monica, California
Project Size
10,000 square feet
Date of Completion
February 27, 2026
Architect/Client
Pica + Sullivan Architects LTD.
St. Monica High School
Anne Wong
Principal, Director of Architecture,
Pica + Sullivan
Lam+Tea Engineering provides competitive pricing with a great balance of cost and quality compared to other MEP firms. The Lam + Tea Engineers are down-to-earth, approachable, and easy to work with, which really stands out compared to other firms.
Alex Yamada
Senior Project Manager, Retail Development and Construction,
Probity International Corporation
Project Overview
A tenant improvement project at Santa Monica High School for the engineering, robotics, and science labs including space for a specialized Marine and Ocean Research Institute (MORI) lab.
Project Scope
Flooding completely damaged the basement of a three-story building on campus. The 10,000 sq. ft. rebuild required restoring HVAC, lighting and plumbing functions to code for the science and engineering labs, restrooms, classrooms, prep room and storage space.
Services
Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Design
Highlights
Why Architects Choose Us
- K-12 Renovation Experience – MEP engineering coordinated around active educational environments and existing institutional buildings.
- Water Damage Restoration – Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems affected by water damage incorporated into the renovation strategy.
- 10,000 SF Basement Renovation – Building systems coordinated within constrained existing-building conditions.
- MORI Program Integration – Utilities coordinated to support the Marine Oceanographic Research Institute within the biology classroom.
- Classroom & Laboratory Coordination – MEP infrastructure integrated with both conventional and specialized educational spaces.
- Prep Room Support – Utilities coordinated with supporting instructional spaces and layouts.
- Restroom Improvements – MEP systems incorporated into renovated restroom areas.
- Existing Campus Integration – New and upgraded systems coordinated with established school infrastructure.
- Durability & Reliability – Engineering improvements developed to support long-term operation following water damage.
- Architectural Collaboration – MEP design coordinated with Pica + Sullivan and the requirements of the renovated educational program.
We collaborate with architects and educational institutions to provide MEP engineering for K-12 schools, classroom renovations, science and biology spaces, laboratories, campus modernization, water-damage restoration, and existing educational buildings.
K-12 Education Project Experience
Our team provides MEP engineering for education architects on projects involving:
- High school renovations
- Classroom modernization
- Science and biology classrooms
- Specialized educational programs
- Laboratory and prep spaces
- Basement-level renovations
- Restroom improvements
- Water-damage restoration
- Existing campus infrastructure upgrades
