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Heim BBQ

Fort Worth, TX

Expertise

  • Commercial

Services

  • civil engineering
  • mechanical / plumbing engineering
  • land surveying

Size

  • 6,900 SF

In May of 2019, Heim Barbecue opened their much-anticipated second location at 5333 White Settlement Road in the new Fort Worth River District. What was previously a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post, the building was gutted and renovated so that it now has a fresh, modern look complete with a white exterior. Also known as Heim on the River, BHB provided the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and civil engineering services for the nearly 7,000 square-foot restaurant, including an attached covered patio and detached smoker house.

In order to meet the Owner’s request to have an open concept, BHB’s mechanical engineers designed a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) HVAC system that utilizes round cassettes to condition the interior space. A 100% outside air unit located on the roof conditions ventilation and make-up air for the kitchen hood to house neutral temperatures. The air is then supplied into the building via exterior ductwork routed on the roof. To BHB’s knowledge, this is the first restaurant in the DFW area that utilizes a VRF system. For plumbing, BHB used tankless water heaters in order to take up less space, while also coordinating with the Owner to provide empty conduits to route the multiple beer supply taps and a one-of-a-kind TX Whiskey tap.

Civil services for the project included providing water and sanitary sewer services, coordinating with City staff, the re-platting of three existing plots into a single plot, and making sure the proposed renovations and additions fit the existing MU-1 zoning regulations. While the restaurant currently has empty space to the south, BHB’s civil engineers created a final design for future expansion/additions into this space. BHB has already begun the task of working with the City and Owner on approval of these features.

Pictured: BHB employees enjoy lunch at their newest completed project, Heim BBQ.

Key People

  • Gibran Michel, DBIA, LEED AP

    Gibran Michel, DBIA, LEED AP

    Senior Associate | Senior Mechanical Designer

    Gibran Michel has been with BHB since 1996. A year after high school, he started with BHB as a drafter and absorbed as much information as he could concerning HVAC and plumbing design. Since that time, he has gone on to learn what he can about the other engineering tasks that goes into the construction of new buildings and the renovation of existing buildings. With this knowledge, he has been able to help his clients from the very start of on their projects. Including site selection, zoning changes, overall site utility advisement, building space planning, and many other tasks that are involved in this process.

    During his design time with BHB, he has worked on everything from a 1,500 square-foot retail space all the way to a 500,000 square-foot distribution center for a major beer supplier. Projects have included schools/universities, churches, hospitals, retail, multi-family, high-rise buildings, warehouses, and everything in between.

    After 20 years of design experience over thousands of projects, he began developing good relationships with clients that started pulling him away from the day-to-day design of their projects and turned him into the direct contact for the client. For BHB, Gibran become an overall project manager that was able to coordinate design efforts for all the engineering for his clients’ projects as well as a focal point within the company for projects that had difficulties during construction.

    When he is not working, he likes to spend time with his wife, Molley, along with working out 4 to 5 times a week. His favorite place to vacation is the Caribbean with its’ warm weather and great beaches. You can also ask him about his own experiences handling home repairs, building a 200-foot-long railroad tie retaining wall or updating a 100+ year old cabin on his family property outside Lampasas, Texas.

    Project Experience

    Arlington Heights Animal Hospital
    Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex
    Granbury Resort Conference Center
    Saint Patrick Cathedral Parish Hall

  • Richard J. Watters, PE

    Richard J. Watters, PE

    Principal | Senior Mechanical Engineer

    Richard Watters came to BHB after working with a design-build contractor in the area for two years. As an active member of BHB’s leadership team, Richard manages some of the firm’s multiple long-term engineering projects, including healthcare, commercial, oil and gas, retail, and municipal. He is experienced in sustainable design, energy studies/audits, design-build, hospitality, data centers, critical environments, medical gas systems, and construction administration.

    Richard has been named one of the Top 40 Engineers Under 40 in the country by Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine and one of the Top 20 Engineers Under 40 in our region by Engineer News-Record magazine.

    In the office, his hands-on style has helped him successfully find solutions for clients and mentor young engineers. Outside of the office, Richard has been past president of the Fort Worth Chapter of ASHRAE and has been active with various student organizations as a guest speaker or project sponsor; he also travels back to Texas A&M to guest lecture and has sponsored projects for the construction science department at Texas A&M.

    With his wife Yesenia, he enjoys being outside with their kids, traveling, working on multiple home improvement projects, and helping others. They have sponsored scholarships for children in El Salvador, his wife’s native country, who would otherwise not have access to advanced education. In addition to these, they also have four annual scholarships locally at TCU and UNT. Expanding on this desire to provide resources and forward momentum for everyone, Richard is also a founding board member of the Paul Schulte Foundation, a non-profit organization with a goal to empower, inspire, and facilitate individuals with disabilities.

    Project Experience

    Arlington Animal Services Center
    Doss Heritage and Culture Center
    Ott Cribbs Public Safety Center
    Star-Telegram Building
    Texas Wesleyan University Jack and Jo Willa Morton Fitness Center

    Education

    Texas A&M University:
    Master’s Degree/2001/Mechanical Engineering
    The University of Texas at El Paso:
    Bachelor’s Degree/1997/Mechanical Engineering

  • Trace Strevey, PE

    Trace Strevey, PE

    President | Senior Civil Engineer

    Trace Strevey grew up around the construction industry and, although he always wanted to be a cowboy, building is in his blood. The majority of his 20+ year engineering career has been in the pursuit of diverse projects that are both challenging and rewarding.

    His land development experience includes commercial, industrial, healthcare, and residential design, and his municipal engineering experience includes water distribution, wastewater system design, drainage studies, and roadway design.  He has the proven ability to successfully coordinate with cities, counties, TxDOT, TCEQ, and other governing agencies for construction and environmental permits, zoning changes, and site planning approvals.

    Project Experience

    Cresson Crossroads Industrial Park
    Park Hill Surgery Center
    Presbyterian Night Shelter Morris Foundation Women & Children's Center
    Rogers Road Pavilion
    TCU Ed & Rae Schollmaier Arena

    Education

    Tarleton State University:
    Bachelor’s Degree/1994/Agriculture
    University of Texas at Arlington:
    Bachelor’s Degree/1999/Civil Engineering

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