Learning at every stage of the project

Samuel Keller began his HVAC career as a technician on construction sites, working directly with equipment such as chillers, heat pumps and air handling units. Today, he designs the same types of systems, bringing that practical understanding into his engineering work.

Knowing how equipment is installed helps him think beyond the drawing. When developing an HVAC concept, he can consider not only how a system should be designed, but also how it will eventually come together on site.

At Exyte, he has the opportunity to stay close to that entire process. His work can take him from feasibility studies and basic design through to execution and construction, giving him a broader view of how each decision influences what comes next.

From the office to the construction site

That variety means there is rarely a typical working day. During the design phase, Samuel Keller spends much of his time in the office discussing layouts, equipment and project requirements with project managers and clients. As a project progresses, his work can take him to the construction site, where the systems that once existed only as designs begin to take shape.

HVAC engineering also brings him into close contact with other disciplines. Before developing a ventilation concept, for example, he needs to understand factors such as the heat load of space and the number of people who will use it. Finding the right solution therefore depends on exchanging information and working closely with others across the project.

He also carries out HVAC audits, checking installations against relevant Swiss requirements. It is a different side of his role that requires careful attention and gives him another perspective on the systems he works with. For him, this mix is one of the things that keeps the job interesting. One project may introduce a new technical challenge, while another brings a different team, client or way of working.

Learning from the people around him

The people Samuel Keller works with are an important part of why he enjoys being at Exyte. Being part of a large organization gives him the chance to exchange ideas beyond his immediate project team and learn how others approach similar technical questions. Working with colleagues in Switzerland and France, for example, has introduced him to different ways of working and approaching design. “I learn about the team, I learn about the way we work,” he says.

For him, those conversations are valuable because there rarely is only one way to approach an engineering challenge. Different locations, projects and colleagues bring their own experience, and hearing those perspectives helps him build on his own. It is something he particularly appreciates about Exyte: even with his own years of practical and engineering experience, there are always people around him with something different to share.

Seeing a project come to life

One of the most rewarding parts of Samuel Keller’s work is being able to stay involved as a project develops. “I enjoy working on the project from the beginning to the end,” he says. Starting with the initial project inputs, he can follow the work through design and into later stages such as commissioning and qualification. Instead of handing over a concept and moving on, he gets to see what happens when those early ideas become part of an operating facility.

For someone whose career began installing HVAC equipment, that moment is particularly meaningful. “When all the installation work is commissioned and qualified, it’s interesting to see all the systems work as we defined it in the design,” he says. It connects where he started with the work he does today: from understanding how equipment is installed on site to helping define how an entire system should work.

A place to keep growing

Samuel Keller’s career has given him the chance to experience HVAC engineering from different perspectives, first on the construction site and now through design, coordination and project execution. At Exyte, he can bring those experiences together while continuing to take on new challenges.

What he enjoys most is that there is always something new to learn. The projects bring new challenges, and working with experienced colleagues gives him the chance to see things from different perspectives. For him, growing as an engineer is not separate from the projects or the people around him. It happens through both. Each project gives him another problem to solve, another perspective to consider and eventually another system to see come to life.