Design and structure

We often take on jobs that are just structural calculation and energy calculation. This time I want to talk about why wooden houses need design and structure to be considered together.

Some so-called designers are great at design but weak on structure and construction. We provide technical backup to such designers on the structural and energy-planning side.

I wrote down a few things we structural engineers immediately notice when we look at the typical plan.

A house isn't complete with design alone. Not every architect designs with proper technical grounding. With wooden construction, the legal constraints are also loose, so houses can get built somewhat haphazardly. Going forward, the attitude of taking structural design seriously will grow stronger. I feel the era when we — engineers specializing in wooden housing — can really play a role is arriving.