Every profession has stereotypes to overcome. Structural engineers, in addition to being seen as overly conservative and risk-averse, are often accused of overdesigning everything. This perception stems from the need to ensure that uniquely complicated designs will perform as intended, combined with an evolution in aesthetic designs that makes today’s residential structures less redundant (for example, large, open floor plans instead of interior walls breaking up spaces).

One of the core tenets that we teach our engineers at Anchor is that competent engineers do not need to overdesign to ensure structural soundness. Designing structures to meet the minimum code requirements is typically appropriate. Challenges arise when the building’s geometry requires unusual structural detailing to create a functional load path.

Market Pressures and Design Shifts Impact Costs in Affordable Housing

With construction labor and material costs continuing to increase, coupled with higher interest rates, the pressure on cost in the affordable housing sector has never been greater.

In addition to market pressures, housing design aesthetics over the last thirty years have shifted from relatively small window openings in exterior walls to today’s “window walls”. At the same time, interior living spaces have morphed from specific rooms for specific uses, separated by interior walls, to large, expansive interior spaces that allow functions to cross over and mingle within each level of the home, sometimes even between levels.

The interior walls that were present in the past provided additional support for lateral force resisting systems (“LFRS” – shear walls to resist wind/seismic forces), and the smaller window/door openings provided ample shear walls at the exterior of the building. It was relatively rare for homes in the affordable category to require a complicated or unusual LFRS design. Likewise, the interior walls separating the spaces provided many bearing locations, allowing joist spans to be reduced and smaller framing members to be used.

Increased Oversight and Liability Impact Cost

Combined with the evolution of architectural styles from closed and contained to large and open, the level of supervision by building departments has increased significantly. Building Departments used to verify that the plans were stamped and the right codes were referenced. Today, it’s not unusual for them to produce their own independent calculations to cross-check the structural design, sometimes using the most restrictive interpretation of the code.

Another aspect engineers must consider when determining how far to take the design is the threat of legal action by plaintiff’s attorneys and experts looking for any possible reason to initiate a claim against all involved in the design and construction process.

Early Involvement Reduces Cost

At Anchor Engineering, we believe structural simplicity is necessary. However, too often, the structural consultant is brought into the project after the Owner has become enamored with a particular aesthetic in the design, or after an architectural review board has approved a design, making changes difficult and costly to incorporate. While almost anything can be accommodated through structural design, the general rule is that if it is costly and complicated to engineer, it will be costly to build. Structural engineers must work within the code, and we can’t suspend the laws of physics.

We strive to keep our clients happy. We don’t like sharing bad news. We are keenly aware that complexity adds cost. When we review design documents and respond with “We can design this, but it’s going to be a challenge,” we are recommending that you reconsider the approach, because based on our experience, if we design the project as specified, it’s going to come in high. We will need to redesign to bring the project in budget.

Bring your structural engineer in early during schematic design, or even conceptual design. Listen to your engineer. We want to help. When designing an affordable housing project, prioritize the most effective use of public funds to provide quality housing to as many people as possible.

If you have your eye on a design award, remember, simplicity in design merits recognition.