Reza Haji

A residential HVAC system in Nevada has to do more than cool a house through a 110°F afternoon. It must meet code, control indoor air quality, handle dust and dry air, protect equipment, and stay efficient through long cooling seasons and sharp winter swings in the north. For MEP designers, contractors, builders, and informed homeowners, the key is knowing how the building code pieces fit together. Nevada does not rely on one single HVAC rulebook for every home. Local jurisdictions adopt and...

Nevada looks harsh at first glance. Las Vegas bakes through long summers. Reno and Carson City swing from hot afternoons to cold nights. Higher-elevation communities see snow, wind, and deep winter lows. Yet those same conditions make Nevada one of the most interesting places in the U.S. to build homes that use very little energy. A well-designed passive or zero-energy home does not fight the desert. It works with it. Thick insulation, careful shading, airtight construction, efficient heat...

A two-story building can often rely on direct firefighter access, short evacuation paths, and relatively simple sprinkler hydraulics. A high-rise cannot. Once a building rises above the practical reach of exterior firefighting, the building itself must become part of the fire department’s operating strategy. That is why fire protection design in high rise buildings in the United States is not just “more sprinklers on more floors.” It is a coordinated life safety system that combines...