Kiro Engineering

Founded in 2011, Kiro Engineering began with an individual engineer on a mission and a dream. Today, the company is a fully integrated organization providing a comprehensive range of discipline-based engineering and structural services. While the size and complexity of Kiro have changed, its fundamental principles of diligence, integrity, and excellence remain the bedrock of the company’s commitment to valued clients. Kiro’s business model ensures that customer satisfaction and employee gratification remain top priorities.

After its founding, Kiro quickly realized the importance of integrating design and modeling. First established as a BIM Modeling, structural engineering, and building modeling business, Kiro has since grown into one of the few full-service structural and MEP engineering and steel detailing firms still headquartered in the United States.

Integrity is a keyword that drives Kiro’s business model. Design integrity means having all the architectural, structural, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing details modeled by a group of engineers who understand design codes. Having the same engineer complete the concept design and also complete the BIM and details prevents a wide range of issues that often occur during a complicated design process. When you hire Kiro, you hire a one-stop shop that will perform all three elements of design (architectural, structural, and MEP), saving clients many hours of design and review. Plus, the company can discover any conflict or clash within the details, which can prevent stoppages, overages, and cost overruns during construction.

Mina Mikaeel, the founder and lead engineer of Kiro Engineering, sees BIM as the future of forensic engineering and damage assessment that will require a combination or integration of BIM and Finite Element Analysis. A good example of this is the last version of Deep Excavation software in Geotechnical Engineering. Thanks to this software, Kiro can complete other tasks besides the finite element analysis, like damage assessment, connection details, and cost estimates.

Mina graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey. He founded the firm with a dream to succeed and the support of his parents and mentor.

Mina says, “Thanks to my parents who supported me with education and endowed me with the technical skills, knowledge, and support to start Kiro Engineering. Thanks also to my mentor and God Father, Fr. Maximous Wasfy, who not only taught me that engineering was a career, he also taught me that it was a great way to serve God and humanity.”

Kiro has been more than successful for a decade because the firm has become one of the premier Structural Engineering and Steel Detailing businesses with a license to work in 10 states, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Florida, Texas, Missouri, Kansas, and Wyoming.

As a specialist firm, Kiro provides steel detailing for fabrication with complex geometry and unusual
architectural designs. Kiro’s excellence and ability to serve complex projects can be seen in multiple recent projects, including the Mashpee Train Station and the Shawsheen Twin Bridge (which features steel Detailing of girder fabrication for a super elevation profile).

Engineering the BIM

“At Kiro Engineering, we take great pride in providing top-notch steel detailing and BIM (Building Information Modeling) services to our clients across 10 states in the U.S.,” says Mina. “We go the extra mile to ensure the quality and safety of the structural design by putting our PE (Professional Engineer) Stamp on every fabrication or erection steel drawing we produce. This means we take full liability for any issues that arise during the fabrication process, and our clients can rest assured that they are getting the best possible service.”

Kiro understands the growing competition from foreign firms in the industry, but we firmly believe that the USA is the rightful home of the BIM industry.

Unlike overseas freelancers, it is a licensed and professional engineering firm that offers a wide range of services, including connection and welding design for complex geometries and the design of temporary structures and shoring systems during construction. These specialized services require a deep understanding and expertise, which only a professional engineering firm like Kiro can provide. It is dedicated to keeping the BIM industry in the USA and providing clients with the highest level of professionalism, quality, and safety.

Ensuring Highest Standards of Quality and Accuracy

According to Mina, the keys to a successful Steel Detailing and BIM business are documentation control and management. Documentation control is the process of managing, tracking, and distributing the project details, submittals, and Requests for Information (RFIs) to the appropriate person in charge. In addition, Kiro has its own design and detailing checklists to ensure the highest quality of the project. Mina emphasizes that proper documentation control can make all the difference in the success of a project. He stresses the importance of following up on inquiries and submittals to ensure that everything is on schedule. By having a system in place for documentation control, Kiro can ensure that all project details are properly tracked and accounted for, which ultimately leads to a successful project outcome.

By having their own design and detailing checklists, Kiro ensures that all projects adhere to the highest standards of quality and accuracy. With comprehensive documentation control and checklists in place, clients can rest assured that their projects are in good hands with Kiro.

At Kiro Engineering, we take great pride in providing top-notch steel detailing and BIM (Building Information Modeling) services to our clients across 10 states in the U.S.

Another key to Kiro’s success, according to Mina, is to conduct site visits during the pre-construction stage to understand the project complexity and the Contractor’s management plan. During these visits, engineers can get a firsthand look at the site’s limitations, including space constraints when it comes to crane usage.

By understanding how the Contractor will manage their equipment on the job site, engineers can make informed decisions about the most appropriate means and methods for steel erection, connection design, and shoring systems. This approach helps to minimize the likelihood of unexpected issues during construction, which can be costly and time-consuming.

Striving to Deliver Successful Project Outcomes

Mina emphasis on conducting site visits during pre-construction shows his commitment to delivering high-quality engineering solutions to his clients.

In fact, Kiro sends their senior engineers to the most difficult and inaccessible terrains to evaluate sites. For example, the Zourva Orthodox Monastery on Hydra Island, Greece, which is accessible only by foot, is an excellent example of such a remote site that requires extensive surveying and design work, often requiring the engineers to hike.

Mina and his good friend, Dr. Andrew Gouda, are currently working on a research project to design a small pump station and water distilling unit to transport water from the sea up to the monastery through the hard terrain. This project means a lot to Mina and his team, and they are committed to achieving success to help the nuns have enough water.

By going the extra mile to evaluate and design solutions for these challenging projects, Kiro can ensure that every project detail receives the necessary attention, leading to successful project outcomes and satisfied clients.

Rashed Ahmed, Kiro’s MEP Lead says, “Mina realized that the internet cloud could be an indispensable resource for our company. Several years before the pandemic, he insisted that our team make use of cloud computing services to store and access our files and collaborate on projects online. Thanks to this foresight, when COVID-19 forced us to work remotely from home, we were wellprepared and able to continue our work without a hitch.

Mina is not only a brilliant engineer but also an avid traveler and hiker. During video meetings, he always sets a stunning natural backdrop of a mountain, gorge, or forest, showcasing his adventurous spirit. In these challenging times, the breathtaking scenery behind him reminds us that though we are working from our homes, we are still connected through our shared passion for nature and engineering. Mina’s enthusiasm and visionary leadership have helped Kiro navigate the upheavals of the pandemic and come out stronger and more united than ever. “

Offering Comprehensive Discipline-Based Engineering Services

Kiro is also on a mission to serve God, and they do this by providing design and detailing services to many churches across the United States and Europe. Mina has traveled extensively throughout Egypt, Greece, Georgia, and Armenia and has gained inspiration for his designs from the ascetic Coptic monasteries in Egypt and Hosting Byzantine styles in Mount Athos, Greece, including the tall structural arches, vaulted ceilings, and vertical walls of the Armenian and Georgian Churches.

His designs are inspired by a blend of architectural aspects and provide a fresh and unique approach to creating places of peace and tranquility. Kiro’s recent work can be seen at the Holy Trinity Ethiopian Church in Houston, Texas. Mina also designed many structural and shoring systems for mega projects in New York City, including one of the four flood barrier systems for the new World Trade Center.

Mina will like to thank his colleague and right hand Ivelina Peeva; Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ; and his professors Dr. Roy Messaros, Dr. Thmoas Hurrington, Dr. Yusuf Billah, Dr. Hossam Moghazy, Dr. Nazieh Younan, and Dr. Tarek Mostafa for helping to guide him spiritually and academically, and for providing him with the necessary tools to continue Kiro’s mission to work hard for his customers and to provide them with the best comprehensive discipline-based engineering services available.

In addition to his work at Kiro, Mina has a deep passion for giving back to his community through engineering and design. He dreams of spending his retirement volunteering his engineering expertise to restore Dadivank Monastery in Armenian Artsakh, as well as building small chapels at the locations of the Martyrdom of his Sunday School teacher, Fr. Arsanious Wadid, and the TwentyOne Copts who were assassinated by ISIS on the sands of the Mediterranean Sea. These projects would allow Mina to use his skills to serve not only his clients but also those in need, a testament to his commitment to improving the lives of others through his work