IMEG’s virtual design team transforms how projects come to life. Spanning the U.S. and India, our experts create immersive, collaborative environments where owners, designers, contractors, and subcontractors can explore options, test materials, and visualize sequencing—long before construction begins. It helps the team make smarter decisions, have fewer surprises, and create stronger outcomes. 

In honor of Virtual Designer’s Week, several of IMEG’s virtual designers talked about their favorite recent projects.  

Colby Era is a senior virtual design coordinator in IMEG’s Minneapolis office. He has worked for IMEG since 2022. His favorite project is the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, a 6,000-seat hockey and basketball arena at University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. IMEG provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and technology engineering design services for the building, which needed to be integrated into the existing campus with minimal disruption to the campus or the surrounding residential area. Why it’s a favorite: “The scope and complexity of this project still resonates with me. St. Thomas was challenging but was a very smooth model to manage. Working with Ryan Companies was exceptional. We had meetings that thoroughly discussed expectations. We resolved many issues through complex clash meetings. We were geolocated prior to setting everything up. There was no changing the scale, views, or sheet sizes. We used the Autodesk Construction cloud to facilitate all of this.” 

 

 

Fadi Alkhouri is a senior virtual design coordinator in IMEG’s Farmington Hills, MI, office. He has 35 years of experience preparing structural contract documents, coordinating structural drawings with other disciplines, and reviewing shop drawings. His favorite project is the Fisher Body Plant 21 Renovation, in Detroit. IMEG is providing structural engineering for the transformation of the 600,000-sf former auto body plant into a mixed-use complex with 435 apartments, 38,000-sf of commercial, retail, and hospitality space, 646 parking spaces, residential amenities, and bicycle parking. Why it’s a favorite: “This project was especially meaningful for its blend of historic preservation and modern structural challenges. Key efforts included load path analysis and the use of temporary shoring to support existing conditions. To ensure precise execution, the team developed comprehensive repair documentation—complete with detailed plans, sections, and elevations—for each structural element and material. These visuals provided clarity and helped streamline on-site construction.”

 

 

Karl Krause is a senior virtual design coordinator in the Naperville, IL, office. He has been with IMEG since 2003 and is a leading expert in building information modeling using Revit Structure, helping IMEG pave the way to providing innovative and advanced solutions in 3D modeling. His favorite project is the outpost pylon sign in West Dundee, IL, an 80-foot outpost sign on the property of the largest truck stop in the U.S. IMEG provided structural engineering for the project. Why it’s a favorite: “IMEG designed and modeled the original warehouse on the site and the architect reached out again giving us the opportunity to design the outpost sign structure. It’s a small but interesting project. I’m pretty sure the architect is a Van Halen junkie and may have been inspired by Eddie Van Halen’s ‘bumblebee’ guitar design.”  

 

 

Lawrence Sheline III is a senior virtual design coordinator in IMEG’s Boston office. He has been with IMEG since 2024. His favorite project is the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Horticulture & Plant Science Center expansion, which focuses on horticulture, plant conservation, and research. IMEG provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, audio/visual, security, and telecom design and services for the project, which includes an administrative and laboratory building, a head house, greenhouses, a storage building, three hoop houses, and several outdoor planting areas. Why it’s a favorite: “The clients praised the IMEG Boston team for their ability to successfully navigate challenging conditions, provide and thoroughly explain design options, and for their overall communication and timeliness of deliverables. The team did well with overall coordination between disciplines, which resulted in the models looking great during coordination meetings with the rest of the design team.”  

 

 

Sara Bushek is a senior virtual design coordinator in IMEG’s Quad-Cities headquarters. She has 12 years of experience preparing virtual designs for IMEG’s clients. Her favorite project is the new Quad City Bank & Trust headquarters in Bettendorf, IA, a five story, 100,000-sf building with an adjacent 140-stall parking garage. IMEG provided structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and civil engineering design services, and audio/visual, security, and telecom technology services. Why it’s a favorite: “This future-forward facility will centralize QCR Holdings’ operations and become QCBT’s sixth consumer banking location—designed with a campus-style layout and green spaces to foster community engagement and connectivity. At the groundbreaking, IMEG provided attendees with a high-tech preview using augmented reality, allowing them to see a 3D model of the new building superimposed on the site—a powerful visualization of what’s to come.” 

 

 

Tony Walz is a structural project designer in IMEG’s Minneapolis office. He has more than 30 years of engineering experience, specializing in structural modeling and field administration. His favorite project is St. Therese of Corcoran, a continuing care senior housing project that used several different material types—wood, cold form steel, concrete, masonry, precast, and steel. IMEG provided structural engineering for the project, which was named one of Minnesota Finance & Commerce’s Top Projects for 2024. Why it’s a favorite: “This project incorporated nearly every structural material we typically work with, excluding post-tension and tilt-up systems. The integration of such a diverse range of materials presented a unique challenge, pushing us to refine our coordination and detailing skills. One of the most striking features was the large stair atrium; the wide-open spaces on the main level were accomplished using structural steel supporting the tenant living units above and a large outdoor amphitheater.” 

 

 

Trevor Grover is an electrical project designer in IMEG’s Reno, NV, office. He has been with IMEG since 2021. His favorite project is the rebranding of Harvey’s Casino Resort in Lake Tahoe, NV, to Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe. IMEG provided mechanical, electrical, and technology design for the two phases of renovation. Why it’s a favorite: “We have a few IMEG teams working on this building, which is a notable hotel/casino at Lake Tahoe.  It was also one of the few projects for which I’ve been able to use newer tools, like ACC Bridge.”  

 

 

Winny Wang is a senior virtual design coordinator in IMEG’s San Francisco office. She has more than 38 years of experience working on projects ranging from residential and government renovations to new multi-story mixed-use developments, office buildings, educational facilities, and industrial/aerospace ground support projects. Her favorite project is NVIDIA Starbase, a three-story corporate office building. IMEG is providing structural engineering for the project, which includes offices, laboratories, and a roof-top deck with fitness, amenity, and dining services. Why it’s a favorite: “I thrive on collaboration with my team, especially while tackling the challenges of this dynamic project. Despite tight deadlines and multiple changes to the roof structure—revised three times—I have remained adaptable and focused, contributing to numerous successful updates along the way.”