STRUCTURAL DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR PERMITTING AND CONSTRUCTION
We supply the documents required for permitting and construction, including stamped structural drawings and calculation packages. We do this for a wide range of building types, such as new residential, ADUs, multi-family and commercial buildings, residential and commercial remodels, including tenant improvements, schools, wineries, and multi-story commercial buildings.
Our submittals are designed to move through permitting efficiently and simplify the construction process.
CONSULTING AND PROJECT REVIEW
We consult with homeowners, architects, contractors, and developers at every stage of a project. Whether you're evaluating an existing structure, exploring an unconventional material, or trying to understand what a design decision will mean structurally, we're here to think it through with you.
Our consulting services include structural assessments and site visits to examine the integrity of existing buildings, feasibility reviews for projects involving alternative or bio-based building materials, green material selection guidance, and expert advice for permitting and testing for non-standard construction methods. If you're not sure whether something is possible, ask us!
CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT
We provide on-site structural observations and special inspections throughout the construction process, and we're available to consult when something unexpected comes up. Whether it's a structural question that needs an answer before work can continue, a detail that needs to be adapted to site conditions, or a material substitution that requires engineering review, we approach these moments as a collaborative partner.
ALTERNATIVE / LOW-CARBON / BIO BASED MATERIALS
For over two decades, our team has designed and engineered structures and testing plans using a wide range of materials that fall in the categories of low-carbon, bio-based, earthen, natural, circular, sustainable, and green construction. VSE has worked with most structural and structural-related materials in these categories, which include straw, adobe, hemp, timber framing, crushed stone and similar foundation systems, low-carbon concrete, rammed earth, light straw clay, bamboo and more.
Appropriate material use is a core value at VSE. We pride ourselves on our awareness of the material options for a project to help inform client decisions. We have an understanding of how different geographic regions relate to material choices, as well as the variables at play with a commercial build vs. an owner-builder project.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
With extensive experience in permitting, code development, and testing work for alternative materials, VSE staff are experts on how new innovations relate to the building code and associated testing. We partner with manufacturers and innovators who are pushing the boundaries of what buildings can be made from, providing the structural engineering expertise needed to make these products code-compliant, scalable, and ready to build.
CODE DEVELOPMENT
We work closely with the alternative building community to develop the standards, practices, and procedures that give homeowners, architects, and builders the tools to work confidently with low-carbon and bio-based materials. Our team has been lead engineers or contributors on many sections and appendix updates and additions to the International model building codes and beyond. This includes topics such as hemp-lime (hempcrete), straw bale, cob (monolithic adobe), crushed stone, low-carbon concrete, light straw clay, and adobe.
LET’S COLLABORATE
Every project starts with a conversation. Tell us what you want to build, and we'll help you find the right path forward.