Nemetz (S/A) & Associates LTD. has been a source for electrical power systems and lighting designs in Vancouver for more than 50 years. We combine a strong technical base with a diversified staff of professionals allowing our consultants to offer expertise in electrical design of academic, residential, institutional, government, commercial, hospitality and industrial projects. With a consistent focus of delivering innovative design solutions for the most complex and technologically advanced projects, our professionals have gained a depth of understanding in how to design flexible, functional and cost-efficient facilities with a client focus.
Through specialists in power design, communication, security and lighting design, our company has demonstrated strength in the utilization of designers with a background in electrical contracting. This provides a valuable resource not only to builders but also to electrical contractors in solving on-site problems. Together our associates believe in bringing power and light to future projects while offering a shining example of what can be accomplished with the basic tenets of service, quality and ingenuity.
The high rise lights that make up Vancouver's skyline offer glowing testament to a familial dedication to service, quality and ingenuity in electrical engineering for more than 50 years. The spark that is now some 10,000 completed electrical engineering projects began with William Nemetz and his electrical contracting firm 'Domino Electric,' then continued when his son Arnold Nemetz, founder of Arnold Nemetz & Associates, opened his first electrical engineering firm in Vancouver in 1963. The company became a leader in designing functional and original systems for residential, commercial and industrial projects in the Lower Mainland.
Steven Nemetz joined his father's firm (Arnold Nemetz) in 1983 and currently serves as the President of Nemetz (S/A) & Associates. Under Steven's direction the business has expanded to offer a variety of specialized services in conjunction with basic power design
After 32 years of an electrical engineering firm Nemetz (S/A) & Associates introduced a new division to meet the burgeoning demand for comprehensive lighting design, Light Art Concepts Ltd. Light Art Concepts Ltd. offers creative and practical lighting solutions with designers dedicated to devising a look that meets and enhances the vision of individual clients.
While high rise residential projects were once the backbone of the business; Nemetz (S/A) & Associates has now, 48 years later become internationally known and developed considerable versatility by utilizing electrical engineering expertise in the construction of hotels, food stores, community centres, office towers, shopping centres, film studios, schools, and resort projects.
NEMETZ ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING:
CELEBRATING FIVE DECADES
By Wendy Long
Fifty years ago Elvis Presley’s “Are You Lonesome Tonight” topped the charts. Across the Atlantic, a foursome called The Beatles was featured at The Cavern Club in Liverpool. High in the sky, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.
At the time in Vancouver, Arnold Nemetz was busy converting his father’s electrical contracting company, Domino Electric, into an electrical engineering consulting business. Fifty years later, in an era of rap music, social media and the international space station, the Nemetz business continues to thrive and evolve. The past five decades have seen Vancouver blossom into an international city and Nemetz electrical consulting engineers have had a hand in the construction of many buildings that now accent the city skyline.
“In the early days of the business it was very much One Person Does All – the engineering, lighting, communications, security, whatever the job needed,” notes Steve Nemetz, an electrical engineer who has followed in the footsteps of grandfather William and his father Arnold, and currently serves as CEO of Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd.
“Now, things are specialized. We have a specialized lighting department that liaises with architects and interior designers and provides comprehensive and detailed lighting design. We have engineering in terms of power design. We have security, communications and information technology expertise within the office. But the underlying principles of the company have never changed. We still provide excellent service to the client, efficient and effective designs, and we also protect the owners through the course of design and construction by monitoring contractors on site.”
The years leading up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver proved hectic for the city’s construction firms and Nemetz was no exception. The year 2011 saw many a business “take a breath.” At Nemetz, some longtime employees chose to retire following the Games, prompting recent changes and promotions within the office. This past year Associate Gary Geissinger was made Senior Associate while Mark Herron, Darren Neuman and Ovidiu Cojocaru were promoted to company Associates. The office also celebrated Cojocaru earning his Canadian Professional Engineer – Electrical licence and welcomed Emma Cronin as the firm’s marketing coordinator.
Nemetz is particularly excited about a recent decision to expand the company’s Light Art Concepts division to include a lighting design centre within the office. Light Art Concepts has been a successful enterprise since Nemetz opted to expand the office services to include lighting design. The new in-house centre will offer owners, architects and designers a sample board, computer renderings and other design features to aid in creating the most functional and esthetic lighting possible for their projects.
“We were initially known as a one-stop shop, basically engineering power design,” says Nemetz of the decision to launch Light Art Concepts several years ago. “There was the perception that, as engineers, we knew nothing about lighting design. We wanted to change that, to bring in the esthetics and design. So, we started the division. Based on the projects we’ve done, and the different lighting designs we’ve produced, we’re now at a world-class level in terms of lighting design. Light Art Concepts is long past being just a sidebar to the office, it is now an integral part of our service.”
Nemetz notes other company changes have taken place over the years. At one time the name Nemetz was synonymous with high-rise residential projects. But the company now has so much more to offer, including a retail and office/commercial department led by new company Associate Darren Neuman.
“For sure, we’ve done a lot of high rise residential and mixed use high rise,” concedes Nemetz. “We’ve many excellent projects of that type but we can do just as good a job in commercial, retail or office projects as we’ve done in our residential. That’s a message we want to bring out now and in the future.”
Just as the world has changed in 50 years, so has the company and the construction business. Nemetz remembers well his introduction to the business back in the 1980s.
“I started in the summers, doing hand drafting, shading the backs of velums, entry level stuff,” he recalls. “I would do hand drafting and put holes in the sheet because I erased so much!”
One thing that has not changed is the family commitment and core of the business. Arnold Nemetz now serves as the company’s Founding Principle, with son Steve Nemetz the CEO and daughter Franci Stratton serving as Chief Administrative Officer. Granddaughter Jennifer Stratton brings her interior design expertise to Light Art Concepts and grandsons Alex and Willie Stratton have also gained summer work experience in the office.
“Will we be around for another 50 years? I don’t see why not,” declares Steve Nemetz. “We have a lot of youth in this company and we’re always growing, always looking to sharpen our skills, stay on top of technology. And at the core of everything is our desire to provide outstanding service to the client – that is something that has not, and will not change.”
Light Art Concepts
Light Art concepts is a dedicated lighting division that unites highly qualified interior and lighting design professionals, and combines their expertise to create complete lighting and design packages that can balance the clients practical, aesthetic, and budgetary needs. The end result provides the client with a design that is effective, efficient, and proficient, all while achieving the desired effect and intent of the space.(click here to read more)
LIGHT AND ART: A CONCEPT WHOSE TIME HAS COME
By Wendy Long
Lighting a room is a bit like preparing a special meal – a basic recipe might satisfy the appetite but a touch of spice or elegant garnish can turn a rudimentary dish into something special.
At Light Art Concepts, a division of Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd., lighting designers Jennifer Stratton and Daisy Chan know how to transform a space from functional to fabulous.
“The average person may walk into a room and not really notice if the lighting is good but there is something they like about the room,” says Stratton. “But it certainly stands out if it’s bad. Good lighting, proper lighting, enhances a room and can affect the mood of a space. Lighting can also affect the way you feel but you may not realize it.”
Although Light Art Concepts has been part of Nemetz for more than a decade, the company recently opted to expand the division to include a new, and separate, lighting design centre that goes far beyond the basic task of choosing fixtures. The new space includes a sample board and computer that provide two-dimensional renderings of lighting in specific areas – ideal when trying to design large spaces such as hotel or office lobbies.
“Over the years our lighting division has grown, it is past being just a sidebar to our office,” notes company CEO Steve Nemetz. “It has become an integral part of our service that is greatly appreciated by our clients.
“Previously, our lighting designers were integrated with the rest of the office – the CADD people, other designers. They were basically operating elbow-to-elbow. Now, we’ve created a designated area just for the lighting department and incorporating a variety of design tools that will help our designers work with clients. Owners, architects and designers can look at various lighting options and associated costs and make informed and intelligent decisions.”
Stratton and Chan bring more than just lighting knowledge to the office. Both have interior design expertise that allows them to liaise with architects, engineers, owners, contractors and designated interior designers to devise lighting that goes far beyond functional illumination of a space.
Indeed, considering lighting’s impact on human health and emotions, and room esthetics, it is a concept long overdue.
“For so long it seemed in Vancouver the standard practice had engineers lighting a space based largely on how many foot candles were required,” explains Chan. “They didn’t necessarily consider how the space would be used or who was going to use it. They’d look in the book, see it’s an office space and think: ‘Okay, that’s 50 foot candles.’ So they’d put in something that meets the lighting levels, that looks good on paper, but that’s it. The focus has been more technical, driven by code rather than a design perspective. And budget is always important.
“They don’t understand that if you’re going to put in nice finishes, what’s the point if you’re not doing the lighting properly? You can’t even see the finishes.”
Chan notes current trends call for lighting to be far more than just decorative. Energy-efficiency has become an important, and popular marketing tool for developers. The key is knowing when, and how, to use energy-efficient lighting products.
“These days there are more products that are esthetically pleasing and have a low usage of energy,” she says. “More and more people are demanding energy efficiency, which is a good thing. But you have to take into account the project and the budget and where energy-efficient products can be best utilized. That’s where we come in, we can help with that.”
Chan and Stratton are excited about finally having space in the Nemetz office designated solely for Light Art Concepts. They now have the in-office capability of presenting a variety of lighting looks to clients based on variables such as landscaping, floor types, glossy or matte paint, colours and other considerations.
“If you’re spending a lot of money on a certain feature, perhaps a feature wall in a lobby, you want to do a mock-up to make sure it all works before spending all the money and not really having an idea of what it will look like,” explains Stratton. “We have the ability to do that, to bring people to our office, work with their ideas and plans. We can also offer other options and solutions. This process can save a lot of time, and money.”
