What is your current position? What is your area of focus?
I'm a Principal at IN Prediais Engineering. In our company, we specialize in plumbing design for high-rise buildings and commercial buildings and also provide technical coordination with the other MEP disciplines.
What are your career journey highlights?
- My first contact with the field came through an undergraduate research program at Escola Politécnica da USP - University of São Paulo, where I had the opportunity to engage in research on water conservation and the efficiency of drain-waste-vent systems.
- I then joined the engineering team at TESIS, a renowned MEP engineering company in São Paulo. There, I gained valuable professional experience and was exposed to high-quality technical themes and challenges.
- I earned my master’s degree at USP, focusing my thesis on management models for MEP design companies, with a strong emphasis on quality management concepts.
- Later, I founded my own company, IN Prediais, a consulting and engineering firm where I explored new challenges, including R&D, BIM with strong emphasis on plumbing.
- Now living in Florida, I actively participate in ASPE meetings. This has been a great experience, strengthening my relationship with the ASPE community through people, events, conferences, and courses. I’m excited to continue contributing to engineering both in my home country and in the United States.
What motivated you to get into the plumbing engineering industry?
My motivation came from my early educational choices, starting with technical school, continuing through college, and my academic involvement, all inspired by great people and professionals. It is impossible not to mention the professors who inspired my career, showing me how plumbing can be scientifically fascinating and comprehensive. The diversity of topics related to the use of water and energy in buildings quickly became my passion.
What are the most exciting or rewarding aspects of your work?
The unique aspect is the contribution I can make to society by using the knowledge I’ve gained over the years. Through plumbing engineering, I can improve living conditions for people, not just in terms of comfort, but more importantly, by safeguarding their health, preserving water resources, and protecting the environment.
What value have you gained from participation in ASPE Connect?
The ASPE community is an ideal environment for our professional activity and motivation. It’s a place where we can exchange ideas or even witness engaging discussions on plumbing topics, situations, code interpretations, and concepts. It’s like an "ecosystem" of its own, where engineers can participate and gain different perspectives from ASPE colleagues. In times of remote work and social media, it has become a high-level, complementary network of fellowship.
What is the most interesting plumbing design challenge you have encountered?
There are many challenges I could describe, but I think one of the most memorable was the design of the Athlete's Village for the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. It involved the development of 31 buildings (3,600 residential units) divided into condominiums, with the challenge being to select the best options for efficient construction while achieving the required performance for the athletes during the Games, and ensuring the buildings would be suitable for future use as luxury apartments. The plumbing concepts were defined based on high-end technologies and the local availability of materials. Some of the concepts applied included individual water metering, central water reuse systems, solar hot water systems, modular storage tanks, and high-efficiency sectoral booster pumps. It was the first project in Brazil that received the AQUA-HQE and LEED-ND certifications.
What is your favorite hobby or pastime outside of work?
In my free time, I try to spend healthy moments with my family. I enjoy cooking (with a particular love for Italian cuisine) and having a good glass of wine on special occasions. My fun comes from being the playful dad with my two kids and getting involved in their games. I love tennis, a sport I've been playing since I was a child, and I go to the court whenever possible. Now I can play with my older son, and I’m looking forward to the day my younger one joins the team. Traveling and building memories is something I really enjoy too, and even when I’m traveling for work, I make sure to observe the local culture, the cities, and connect with the best aspects of the places I visit.
Be sure to connect with @HUMBERTO FARINA and say hello!