Our role is to cut through opinion and provide clear, evidence-based assessments grounded in the standards, design intent and construction context applicable at the time of installation.
What We Do
We undertake detailed technical reviews of MEP installations and associated documentation to:
- Assess alleged defects against original design standards and specifications
- Identify whether issues relate to design, installation, or maintenance
- Review compliance against applicable regulations at the time of construction (not current standards applied retrospectively)
- Analyse reports produced by third parties and challenge incorrect or unsupported conclusions
- Provide clear, structured technical responses to support commercial or legal positions
Why It Matters
In many cases, MEP-related claims are based on:
- Misinterpretation of standards
- Application of current regulations to historic installations
- Lack of understanding of system design intent
- Maintenance or operational issues incorrectly presented as defects
Aura provides an independent, contractor-aware perspective to ensure technical conclusions are fair, accurate and defensible.
Our Approach
Our reviews are:
- Independent – not influenced by design teams, installers or third-party assessors
- Evidence-led – based on drawings, specifications, calculations and site records
- Context-aware – aligned with the standards and guidance applicable at the time of installation
- Commercially focused – understanding how technical positions impact project outcomes
Recent Project Experience
Education Facility – Gas Infrastructure Review
Aura is currently supporting a contractor on a complex MEP compliance and performance review relating to a live education facility.
The scope involves a detailed technical investigation into the building’s gas infrastructure, including:
- Assessment of actual building heating, domestic hot water and kitchen load requirements
- Establishing true peak demand versus assumed design conditions
- Review of historic (circa early 2010s) design intent and installed pipework infrastructure
- Pressure drop analysis of both original and newly installed gas distribution systems
- Technical review of installed equipment versus calculated system requirements
- Engagement with specialist manufacturers to assess suitability of booster solutions and system compliance
The review is focused on determining whether the installed system:
- Aligns with the original design intent
- Meets the required performance criteria
- Complies with applicable standards at the time of installation
This work also includes the critical assessment of third-party conclusions to ensure that technical positions are accurate, proportionate and based on engineering evidence rather than assumption.
Airport Lounge – Heating & Cooling Performance Investigation
Aura was engaged to investigate long-standing heating and cooling performance issues within a high-profile airport lounge environment, where the system had failed to operate effectively for an extended period.
The issue had remained unresolved for over 18 months prior to Aura’s involvement, despite previous attempts to identify and resolve the root cause.
Aura undertook a focused on-site technical review, assessing:
- Air handling unit supply conditions and control strategy
- Fan coil unit operation, valve control and sensor locations
- Interaction between central plant and local terminal units
- Installation condition and system integration
- Operational versus design intent performance
Through a combination of site observations and engineering assessment, the root causes were quickly identified as a combination of control strategy issues, sensor placement and system configuration.
Clear, targeted recommendations were provided to address the underlying problems, allowing the system to be corrected and brought back into effective operation.
This engagement demonstrates Aura’s ability to rapidly diagnose complex MEP performance issues and provide practical, implementable solutions — even where problems have persisted over extended periods.
Typical Support Includes
- Independent technical review of defect reports
- Rebuttal of third-party MEP assessments
- Technical input into dispute resolution and final accounts
- Expert support for legal teams and claims consultants
- Review of historic project documentation and compliance position
Who We Support
- Main Contractors
- MEP Contractors
- Developers and Asset Owners
- Legal Teams and Claims Consultants
Why Aura
Aura’s reviews are led by engineers with extensive main contractor experience, ensuring technical assessments are grounded in how projects are actually delivered — not just how they are designed on paper.
We understand the commercial, programme and coordination pressures of live projects, allowing us to provide advice that is both technically robust and practically relevant.