Custom Single-Family Residential projects pose many unique structural engineering challenges that require a creative approach to realize the most extravagant of owners’ dreams. Vertical and horizontal offsets in floor plans create discontinuous gravity and seismic load paths, heavy architectural finishes increase the building’s seismic mass, hill side sites require the incorporation of retaining structures.

Most of the structural solutions rely on the combination of vertical lateral force resisting systems including plywood shear walls, steel moment frames, steel braced frames and even special reinforced concrete shear walls. Combining these systems to behave in concert during a seismic event is an art in and of itself. Finally, these projects consistently possess architectural feature statements such as vaulted ceilings, multi-story spaces, large cantilevers, nana walls, underground vaults, and more.