Services

Existing Buildings

A significant portion of JRS’s business focuses on assessing and working on existing buildings, and helping property managers.

Whether the focus is window assemblies, wall systems, balconies, or parking lots, JRS has a long history and thorough understanding of renewing building envelope assemblies, rehabilitating deteriorated buildings, and preserving historic structures. We’re also the “go-to” engineering firm for depreciation reports, warranty reviews, building condition assessments, leak investigations and parking lot/concrete reviews. We work with hundreds of property management companies, law firms, insurance companies, homeowner associations, and co-op/condo boards throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Services

New Construction

JRS provides practical, effective building envelope solutions to help architects and developers deliver high-performance buildings affordably.

With our knowledge and experience, JRS can help you maximize your building envelope’s performance and avoid potentially costly issues and construction delays.

Our core business of building envelope construction, failure investigation, and repair gives us a deep understanding of what is needed — both theoretically and in practice — to make building envelopes perform exceptionally well. We know what works and what doesn’t and how to help architects, developers, and owners save time and money, freeing them up to focus on other critical aspects of their design and construction projects.

JRS’s services for new construction include:

Design support & assistance
Construction documents reviews
Full envelope design & detailing
Tendering support & bid evaluation
Shop drawing reviews
Review of submittals & RFIs
Field reviews & reporting
Performance testing
LEED support & documentation.

Services

Roofing & Waterproofing

JRS provides realistic, affordable, constructible roofing and waterproofing solutions designed to perform over the long term.

At JRS our people focus on roofing and waterproofing. We take specialized training to be aware of all roofing and waterproofing systems available on the market – and have even helped manufacturers develop a few. Having a broad experience in roofing systems means we don’t believe one roofing or waterproofing product is suitable for every application. Our philosophy is to provide you with the pros and cons of each system, make our recommendation, and help you make an informed decision.

Roofing and waterproofing is a specialized area of the building envelope, and not everyone fully appreciates the intricacies of how these systems go together. Our experience will help maximize your building’s overall performance.

JRS’s roofing and waterproofing staff are specially trained, we have many Registered Roof Observers and a Registered Roof Consultant. We also have a ticketed BC Red Seal Certified Roofer on staff.

We work with a wide variety of types of roofing systems, including:

• TPO / PVC roof assemblies
• SBS modified bituminous roofing
• Pitched asphalt roofing
• Metal panel systems
• Concrete, clay or slate tile
• EPDM roof assemblies
• Liquid roof membranes
• Pitched cedar roofing

Services

Design Services

As building enclosures become increasingly complex and performance driven, it is valuable to involve a specialist consultant in helping to realize the enclosure design.

Whether as a subconsultant to an architect for a new construction project, or as the lead design professional on an existing building rehabilitation, JRS provides a wide range of design services to help each project reach its building enclosure goals. Fom producing architectural design packages to providing peer review, each project has an approach tailored to suit our clients’ needs.

Design Assistance and Design Review. JRS can help design teams develop building enclosure components, systems, and details. This collaborative process includes assistance with material and system selection, mark-up of architects’ drawings and specifications, and production of guide details and written review reports. Services can be provided at any phase, and are defined to cater to individual project needs and goals.

Enclosure Design and Detail Production. In many instances, it makes sense for the building enclosure consultant to produce details and construction documents for the building enclosure – allowing architects to focus more on the architecture. As a design firm first, JRS has the technical knowledge and capability to produce high-quality construction documents for building enclosure components. Because every building has unique qualities and project-specific conditions, our design packages are much more than just standard details. We produce custom details for each job that are critical for construction teams to implement. We also produce written specifications that define material selections and installation methods.

Services

Construction Services

During construction, implementing design intent is critical for realizing durable, high-performance structures. JRS's services during construction help project teams follow through on design intent.

Construction Administration. This includes reviewing submittals, shop drawings, Request for Information (RFIs), pay applications, and other elements to cross-check contractors’ documentation with design documents. Documentation is an important part of the process, and JRS brings value to project teams with our technical knowledge in this area.

Field Reviews. JRS’s participation on construction sites is a fundamental service. We observe mock-ups, attend pre-construction meetings with subcontractors, and review work in progress. These visits are critical for follow-through on implementing design intent.

Quality Assurance/Control Program Development. To support both owners and contractors, JRS helps contractors and subcontractors develop quality control programs. This helps maintain controlled processes and procedures through component and building assembly.

Third Party Inspections. With our building science expertise, we can provide independent review of buildings and components to evaluate whether construction is being completed per manufacturer and design requirements.

Building Envelope Commissioning. Enclosure commissioning (BECx) is a process that starts in design and carries through construction. It encompasses design review, construction documentation, and some testing. We have experience and expertise with rigorous commissioning requirements, and can help projects meet LEED V4 commissioning and State requirements.

Services

Testing & Diagnostics

Qualitative and quantitative testing services provide evidence that completed components and buildings are constructed to meet design requirements.

Testing and diagnostic tools are used to evaluate construction quality, as part of commissioning programs, or as diagnostics to evaluate issues.

Infrared Thermal Imaging. JRS has the equipment and trained personnel to conduct infrared imaging analysis. This diagnostic tool measures surface temperatures and temperature differentials that help indicate trapped water, air leakage, and thermal bridging.

Whole Building Air Leakage Testing. Whether as a diagnostic tool or to meet Energy Code-required testing, JRS has been conducting whole building air leakage testing since 2010. We are leaders in this area and can conduct tests to meet a variety of testing protocols. Results are both qualitative and quantitative.

Blower Door Testing. Many projects require compartmentalization or assembly air leakage testing, to meet LEED requirements or verify design goals for air barrier separations.  We have the right equipment, personnel, and expertise to perform this testing.

Water Penetration Testing. Installed glazing systems benefit from water tests to check their performance and integration into buildings. We have the expertise and equipment to conduct tests with and without induced pressure.

Electronic Leak Detection. JRS’s can perform low-voltage vector mapping to detect and pinpoint breaches in roofing and waterproofing membranes, without causing damage. This is often used as an alternative to flood testing, and is a valuable quality control tool.

Services

Depreciation Reports & Warranty Reviews

JRS provides comprehensive, easy-to-understand Depreciation Reports and detailed yet practical Warranty Reviews.

JRS’s depreciation reports are among the best: easy to follow, and easy to compare with other properties. We have differentiated ourselves from other firms in many ways: the first Engineering firm in BC to complete the CRP (Certified Reserve Planner) program with the REIC (Real Estate Institute of Canada), and the only Canadian engineering firm to also be members of the APRA (Association of Professional Reserve Analysts). No one else in the country can claim all these facets of reserve planning.

We know how to do proper warranty reviews. This type of review is very different from a depreciation report, capital reserve plan, building envelope condition assessment, leak investigation, maintenance review, or roof inspection – all of which have important yet unique objectives. A warranty review’s underlying purpose is to help clients determine potential warrantable defects, in order to have appropriate parties fix as many defects as possible. Our non-destructive review and reporting is structured to be easily understood by all parties, and quantifiable – with exact locations for further review, repairs, or maintenance.

Services

Façade Engineering

A façade design that’s bold or daring is a challenge JRS is up for.

To meet these challenges, we have a specialized, integrated, analytical team approach to help tackle and resolve complex design challenges – whatever they may be.

• Curtain Wall
• Window Wall
• Metal Wall and Roof Panels
• Composite Panels
• Stone/Masonry
• Terracotta

We work with our clients to optimize the façade’s design – whether it’s complex or simple. We assist our clients during preliminary design, through detailed design and construction to completion.

• Structural
• Hygrothermal
• Thermal Performance
• Durability
• Energy
• Constructability

We consider all elements and provide our clients with a complete design, presented in detailed drawings under the direction of our licensed engineers and architects.  We help our clients achieve their façade performance goals – including value, constructability, performance, and durability – by understanding their needs.

Services

Energy and Sustainability Services

JRS helps building owners, developers, architects, and property managers to optimize building energy performance economically and practically

Whenever there is a demand for high performance or green building designs, or building upgrades/renovations- energy services from JRS will always provide your project with value.  JRS provides a wide range of energy services, from energy auditing and energy use assessments to complex energy modelling for all building types and sizes.

Some of our energy services:

• Building Permit/Code Compliance Energy Modelling
• BC Energy Step Code Compliance Energy Modelling
• Vancouver Rezoning Energy Modelling: Performance Limits
• LEED® Energy Modelling
• Built Green Energy Modelling
• Energy Modelling for Incentive Applications (BC Hydro, Fortis BC & others)
• LEED® Energy Model Review/Third Party Energy Model Review
• Energy Assessments for existing residential buildings and commercial buildings
• Energy/EnerGuide Modelling for single family homes and townhomes by Certified Energy Advisors (CEA)

Members of our team have completed more than 200 projects in energy modelling for new construction and energy assessments for existing buildings located throughout Canada, and the United States.

In addition, we have Certified Passive House Designers (CPHDs), which allow us to work on Passive House projects. Team members are experienced with the most current energy modelling software.