New Buildings

We focus on the details and the interfaces between them. Our expertise comes in our appreciation for the construction process and the interaction between materials and assemblies provided by varied design and construction team members. We combine formal and informal consultation to support the design team in identifying and articulating integration of the building enclosure assemblies. Our review also includes identification of additional details needed to convey the design intent.

Our field review work supports the quality assurance process through regular and strategic observation to help ensure that the construction meets the design intent. Our field review personnel are qualified and experienced, having a track record of successful projects and an interest in working cooperatively and collaboratively in a team environment. We are solution-oriented with an interest in progress toward practical and cost-effective methods that meet performance expectations.

As an extension of our field review services, we regularly perform various quality assurance tests, including:

• Water penetration testing of glazing assemblies
• Adhesion testing
• Membrane thickness testing
• Whole building and assembly air leakage testing
• Thermographic scanning and ultrasonic testing if required to help confirm the performance of new assemblies

Building enclosure commissioning is a quality process for building projects to help owners ensure that the enclosure of their building meets or exceeds their performance requirements. By applying an iterative process of defining expectations, assessing the results, documenting, and updating of expectations through all phases of a project our team helps project stakeholders achieve success. We have experience and understanding of all of the major commissioning guidelines including ASTM , ASHRAE, NIBS, and LEED.

We thoroughly understand energy codes across North America and frequently consult with government officials in code development. As local jurisdictions and municipalities increase their energy efficiency requirements, we are at the forefront of understanding the implications to system design. Our science-based approach lends to innovative, practical, and cost-effective solutions to constructing code compliant and energy efficient buildings.

Key to meeting or exceeding the energy code requirements is a fundamental understanding of component thermal performance. We have a team dedicated to the component performance modeling.

Our façade engineering services provide a distinctly advanced and more detailed level of design for the building façade and complements our typical building enclosure engineering scope of services.

Our façade engineering skills are utilized on projects where advanced, custom, or completely new building enclosure systems are being considered. Our role is to pro-actively lead the design and prepare drawings and specifications for these systems so that they are sufficient for the work to be tendered. We consider performance issues beyond heat, air, and moisture such as acoustics, structure, cost, impact of construction schedule, global procurement, risk mitigation, and availability of materials. We work closely with manufacturers and have people available to assist with quality control for offshore systems. Our façade engineering team has always been successful at reducing project costs.

Many façades, and often those that include off-shore components, present an opportunity for owners to obtain high performance systems that meet their design demands at considerable cost savings. Through our worldwide network of business partners, we provide early stage guidance to help select and procure appropriate components and systems based on the specific project risk tolerance and design requirements. We proactively vet manufacturers, their process, material supply chains, and final product development on behalf of the design and construction team prior to owner engagement. Our team also assists in organizing third-party verification, which is a critical step in ensuring the quality of the façade system.