Hem Gupta

Hem Gupta, who founded Environmental Systems Design in Chicago in 1967 and retired to Naples later in life, died surrounded by his family Feb. 10, 2017 after an arduous battle with cancer. His death was confirmed by his son, Raj Gupta, the current CEO of ESD. Mr. Gupta was born and raised in rural India. Already possessing a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Delhi Polytechnic in India, Mr. Gupta came to the United States on a student visa in 1954 to work on his Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Illinois. After completing his graduate studies, he returned to India where he went to work for Borg Warner in Bombay. It was there where he met the love of his life, Julie, who later changed her name to Asha, Sanskrit for “hope.” In 1957, they eloped and moved to Chicago to begin a new life together. Mr. Gupta was sponsored by legendary architectural engineering firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). Mr. Gupta’s hard workled him to advance within the engineering department and then be recruited by A. Epstein & Sons, followed by Perkins & Will, where he became Chief Engineer. In 1967, now having four children and settled in Park Forest, Ill., Mr. Gupta launched ESD with two other partners, Robert Ladner and John Bukalski. Together they would go on to create one of the most influential Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection (MEP) design firms in the country. The company’s innovations – high voltage risers for tall building, advanced energy efficiency, electrical system reliability, district cooling, underfloor air design and sustainability – were tested and implemented for an early client, The Chicago Board of Trade, and promulgated throughout the rest of the commercial real estate community in North America and the Middle East. Under Mr. Gupta’s leadership, a rare combination of engineering expertise and tenacity in sales and relationship management, ESD went on to the leading MEP design firm in Chicago. Today, the firm has projects all over the world, and has unmatched credentials for super and mega-tall buildings, corporate headquarters, airports, mission critical data centers, heath care facilities and financial institutions. Mr. and Mrs. Gupta eventually moved to Naples, Florida to return to warm weather. In his retirement, he continued to work with ESD on new innovations, including the design of the soon-to-be “world’s tallest building,” Jeddah Tower, which will rise to 3,280 feet (roughly twice as tall as Willis Tower). Mr. Gupta is survived by his wife of nearly sixty years, Asha, four children, Reeta, Raj, David and Mark, daughters-in-law Dawn and Jackie, twelve grandchildren, one great-grandchild, brothers and sisters-in-law and many adoring nieces and nephews.