Different by Design -
What is so different about DeStefano Associates – EVERYTHING! Working with DeStefano Associates is a unique experience - we are not your average structural engineering firm. Our philosophy, design approach and style are conspicuously different from that of our colleagues.
Our founder and Senior Partner, Jim DeStefano, has been described as brilliant, bold and direct. He has also been described as the Engineer's Engineer and is a recognized leader in the structural engineering profession.
Quality -
At DeStefano Associates Quality is not just a slogan, it is an obsession. Our management style was inspired by the teachings of Edward Deming, the guru of Quality Management. We continuously strive to improve the quality of our service and of our work.
Design -
Our structures are simple but elegant. It is easy to design an overly complicated structure, but it takes creativity and ingenuity to arrive at a simple solution to a complex design challenge. Simplicity translates into efficient, cost effective and buildable.
Architecture & Engineering -
At DeStefano Associates the line between Architecture and Engineering is blurred. Our expertise is not limited to structural engineering, but also includes architectural technology, construction and building science. Our understanding of cladding systems, waterproofing, fire protection and building codes allows us to better integrate the building structure with the architecture.
Drawings -
Structural working drawings must clearly and concisely communicate our structural design and design intent. We pride ourselves on producing attractive, easy to visualize, well coordinated, detailed structural drawings.Most of our drafting tables have been replaced by computers, but we believe that CADD technology can allow us to produce drawings that are more than just electronic versions of hand drawn working drawings. Whenever practical, we endeavor to produce 3D integrated electronic models of our structures rather than a series of 2D images.
Form Follows Function -
We are noted for our architecturally exposed structures. While “form follows function” was once a driving force in Architecture, since the rise of post-modernism,building structures have retreated behind the curtain of architectural finishes and ornamentation. Today, exposed timber frame structures are an opportunity for us to express our structural art as part of a building's architecture.
Fees -
Our fees are higher than those of our colleagues, but the money invested in our services is often the best spent money on a project. Our projects have historically had lower construction cost and fewer Change Orders than projects designed by firms charging more competitive fees. That is one of the reasons why we have a dedicated core of repeat clients.
Are We Having Fun Yet? -
Designing a building and watching it being built should be an exciting and exhilarating experience. All too often in today's world, building projects turn into Projects From Hell. At DeStefano Associates, we believe that if you take pride in your work and work as a team with the other design professionals and contractors, you can avoid the hellish experiences and structural engineering can be fun.
|
