Services

Structural Engineering and Design

We design and detail structures in steel, concrete, masonry, and wood — new construction, additions, and renovations — from feasibility and preliminary framing through permit and construction documents. We work under the Chicago Building Code, IBC, and IRC, and permit projects throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

We provide expert structural design for a diverse portfolio of building types:

• Commercial & Residential

• Underground Parking Structures

• Bus Garages & Transit Facilities

• Warehouses & Storage Facilities

• Manufacturing & Industrial (see our Industrial Building Services page here)

• Food Processing Plants

• Institutional & Community

• Auxiliary Structures, including retaining walls, pergolas, pavilions, decks, gazebos, monumental signs, and equipment platforms

Chicago Inspection & Compliance Reports

Chicago requires periodic critical examinations of rooftop water tanks and their supports, fire escapes, antenna towers, canopies, metal cornices, sign supports, flagpoles, and other exterior metal structures. Buildings 80 feet and taller must also file under the city's Exterior Wall Program. As a registered structural engineering firm, we conduct these examinations and prepare the sealed reports the Department of Buildings requires:

• Architectural and Structural Iron Inspection Report

• Critical and Invasive Examination Report for Water Tanks

• Exterior Wall Ongoing Inspection Report (short form)

• Exterior Wall Critical Examination Report

• Structural Conditions Reports for cited violations

• Complex Demolition Structural Condition Reports

• Building Envelope Violation Rectification Reports

Short forms are due November 1, and critical examinations are due December 1. If you're not sure which applies to a building or when it was last filed, send us the address.

See our Chicago Facade Ordinance Services page here.

Architectural Design & Permit Documents

As a licensed Illinois Structural Engineer, we prepare and seal architectural construction documents alongside the structural design — complete permit sets including plans, elevations, sections, wall assemblies, and details. Our work includes code and life safety analysis, occupancy classification, and fire rating determinations under the Chicago Building Code and IBC. For clients with ongoing capital work, we serve as both architect of record and engineer of record.

Building Envelope Restoration Solutions

We provide engineering and construction oversight for envelope restoration in brick, terracotta, stone, concrete, steel, and wood. Facades deteriorate from flawed original construction, poor materials, or deferred maintenance — and repairing the symptoms without addressing the cause means repairing them again. We survey the facade, identify the damage, determine its cause, and develop a repair program with the owner, manager, or contractor.

Construction Administration

We support projects through construction — reviewing shop drawings and submittals, responding to RFIs, conducting site observations, and confirming the work matches the design intent. We coordinate with contractors and answer field questions as they come up, so problems get resolved before they become change orders. Residential, commercial, and industrial.

Construction Loan Draw Inspections

We conduct draw inspections for lenders and owners, verifying completed work before funds are released and reporting the percentage of completion on AIA payment applications or the lender's forms. Escrowed and non-escrowed projects.

Court-Appointed Expertise

We serve as a court-appointed structural expert, providing evaluations, written reports, and testimony in disputes involving structural design, construction defects, and failures. Residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.

Structural Damage Assessments

We evaluate buildings with structural damage from wind, flooding, ice and snow loading, fire and explosion, vehicle or debris impact, foundation settlement, and vibration from nearby construction. We determine the cause, not just the symptom, and provide a sealed report with repair recommendations. We work with owners, property managers, insurers, and adjusters on residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.

Interior Design & Space Planning

We provide interior design and space planning alongside our architectural and structural work — layouts, finishes, and interior construction documents produced by the same team preparing your permit set. Our work covers residential renovations and additions, office and tenant buildouts, and space planning for commercial and industrial facilities, coordinated with code, life safety, and structural requirements from the start.