At Cornerstone, we take pride in working with remarkable engineers who not only understand timber’s advantages as a building material but also bring attentiveness, creativity, and exceptional analytical clarity to their work.
Over the decades, our relationship with engineers has evolved into a more proactive and collaborative partnership. In the past, we would simply submit final shop drawings for structural review. Now, we engage engineers early in the design process, exploring innovative solutions that excel in function, finance, and aesthetics.
In engineering, as in other professions, standards of professional responsibility provide an important ethical baseline. However, they seldom address the real-world concerns that matter most to clients, such as quick turnaround on questions, openness to collaboration, alternative solutions, reasonable fees, and excellent personal rapport. These qualities are driven by the people and the workplace culture of individual firms.
Three engineering firms exemplify this new approach to collaboration. I’ve changed their names not to avoid giving them credit, but to encourage all engineers to continue striving for a more collaborative, client-centred practice.
Clarity Engineering – This multi-office firm provides engineering solutions across various sectors, including transportation, buildings, and water treatment. We appreciate their thoroughness and highly detailed proposals that are clear and comprehensive. They are champions of value engineering and readily offer studies of alternative solutions.
Grand Engineers – This international engineering firm specializes in mass timber and has established itself as a leader in large, high-profile projects. When project complexity rises, they deliver exceptional solutions that allow architects to utilize intricate geometries, massive cantilevers, and striking curves. They remain at the forefront of monumental wood design.
Boutique Engineering – With a single office and seven engineers, they stand out with remarkably fast responses that reflect a deep understanding of project priorities, constraints, and opportunities. Boutique excels in small and medium-sized projects, consistently maintaining high levels of service. While fees shouldn’t be the sole deciding factor, their great service and fair pricing make for a winning combination.
In the past, the engineering profession may have been perceived as a little distant and occasionally inflexible. These old stereotypes have been overturned thanks to a new generation of engineers who value collaboration and welcome alternative solutions. Cornerstone’s structural engineers appreciate wood and realize the vast potential that mass timber holds for safe, resilient, sustainable construction.
Join us this week to celebrate the contributions that engineers make to our lives and the built world we inhabit. Their innovative ideas and value-driven solutions are truly inspiring!
