Commercial

Commercial Engineering Philosophy

We derive broad satisfaction from protecting people, property, and the natural world from the diverse threats to their well-being; whether obvious: natural disasters, the wear of time, leaks and failures, or subtle: over-specification, over-building, or failure to consider the micro- or macro-environment of a project.

We also believe there is inherent value in having a single professional, or at most a seamless team of two, considering all aspects of commercial engineering: too often consulting firms are inclined to divvy up responsibilities: a manager for meetings, two technicians to read the code and lay out the basic plan, a subcontracted surveyor to provide the maps, a scientist to do the hydrology, and an engineer at the end of it all to stamp it. This can be awfully expensive, and despite everyone's best intentions, overall vision and "ownership" of the project can go missing.

We have a motto: "If I can't build it, I won't design it." Our staff has personal experience with all the materials we specify in designs: metals, rock, concrete, masonry, plastics, scraps, earth and wood: we've lost skin, blood, and money in trying to make them end up the way we want them to end up... and we've found ways to succeed when our first design did not meet our expectations.

So we approach commercial design, as much as possible, from the perspective of the people who have to build from our plans. This encourages feasibility, and saves our clients money and time by avoiding impractical methods and materials. It also inherently reflects the responsibility of the engineer to have expertise in the matter he or she is engineering.


Commercial Services Include

  • Site environmental compliance including:
    • Phase I/II/III site assessments and cleanup
    • Cleanup and mitigation
    • Petroleum contamination
  • Start-to-finish site development services:
    • Property identification & due diligence
    • Mapping
    • Layout planning, including promotional materials and pre-design permitting (Special Use Permits, etc)
    • Full utility planning and public and private utility coordination
    • Grading plans
    • Civil site plans
    • Landscaping plans
    • Retaining walls and other site features
  • Planning and structural engineering of buildings and other structures up to 3 stories and 45 feet in height, including:
    • Masonry
    • Concrete
    • Steel
    • Wood
    • Structurally Insulated Panels (SIP)
    • Insulated Concrete Form (ICF)
  • Support services for architects, surveyors, contractors, and other professionals.
  • Property management coordination and advisement, including security, safety, and asset protection.