Engineers Week 2025: Design Your Future

Designing our future starts with the work and inspiration we provide today! Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, Engineers Week is an annual event that recognizes the difference engineering makes year-round. During this celebration, we honor how engineers transform our world; amplify the conversation about the vital need for engineers, engineers-in-training, technicians, and technologists; and inspire the next generation by engaging students in the exciting field of engineering.  

Here are a few projects that have sparked innovation and are shaping the future of the communities we proudly serve! 

Abilene Christian University Science and Engineering Research Center  

The award-winning Abilene Christian University’s Science and Engineering Research Center symbolizes the innovative research and leading-edge scientific development happening at ACU. This project houses the Nuclear Energy eXperimental Testing Laboratory (NEXT Lab) and is a first-of-its-kind facility dedicated to advancing molten salt nuclear reactor technology. The SERC involved multiple disciplines including the structural engineering team responsible for the heart of the project called “The Trench.” This structural feature of the project is 25 feet deep from the finish floor above and home to a next-generation molten salt research reactor—where research, experimentation, prototyping, testing, and discovery converge to create innovative solutions to some of the world’s most complex and critical challenges, including cleaner and safer energy. 

“Shout out to the structural leadership of Parkhill's Zach Lindauer and Roland Holder for incredible work on the entire facility including, maybe most importantly, the critical portions that will largely be hidden away underground,” said Parkhill’s Director of Design Brandon Young, AIA.  

El Paso Water Advanced Water Purification Facility  

In collaboration with Corollo Engineers and El Paso Water, the El Paso Water Advanced Water Purification Facility is set to break ground in water reuse. Once completed, the facility will transform treated wastewater effluent into fresh drinking water. Up to 10 million gallons of water per day will be produced to supplement the city’s drinking water supplies and will help meet the demands of the city with the ongoing drought conditions the area is experiencing. Parkhill’s contributions to the project spans multiple disciplines including architectural, landscape, and interiors in addition to diverse engineering knowledge of our structural, electrical, and site civil teams.  

“As the reality of the project construction gets closer the excitement for another Parkhill first grows!” said Civil Engineer Keith Rutherford, PE.  

Lubbock-Cooper ISD Liberty High School Storm Shelter

Lubbock-Cooper ISD Liberty High School's award-winning Storm Shelter is among Texas’s largest high school storm shelters and has set a precedent for the walls of storm shelters to be built with insulating concrete forms insulated concrete forms (ICF).  

ICF provides superior energy efficiency, durability, and faster construction timelines. The 18–inch–thick walls, 45-foot-tall structure, and a 142-foot roof span were designed to withstand 250-MPH winds and handle hydrostatic loads. In addition to serving as a storm shelter, the facility houses two practice gyms to serve multiple purposes for the community.  

“Lubbock-Cooper ISD trusted us to deliver design excellence with this gym, and the team was able to accomplish this using ICF! ICF has become a standard for our structural team to use in storm shelters,” said Structural Engineer Zach Garrett, PE. 

West Texas Regional Disposal Facility MSW Landfill Cell 6 

The City of Lubbock has partnered with Parkhill to develop Cell 6 at the West Texas Regional Disposal Facility (WTRDF), continuing a long-standing collaboration to deliver practical, efficient solutions for the community.  

This project involves:  

• Excavating Cell 6 to a depth of 65 feet  
• Removing over 990,000 cubic yards of soil  
• Installing advanced lining systems with a geosynthetic clay liner, a 60-mil geomembrane, and a leachate collection system for optimal operations.  

The WTRDF as a whole encompasses 1260 acres and is expected to serve this West Texas region for the next 100 years.  

“Cell 6 will provide approximately 10 years of additional disposal capacity for waste generated in Lubbock and nearby areas, supporting the city’s continued growth and development,” said Civil Engineer Tyler Krueger, PE.