Building envelope projects. A selection of envelope consulting work across the Western U.S., by sector and building type.

Ace has consulted on hundreds of building envelope projects across California and the Western U.S., concentrated in the sectors where envelope performance carries the most risk. The majority are multifamily and mixed-use developments — podium-deck apartments, mid-rise residential, and stacked residential-over-retail — where waterproofing and balcony detailing drive most claims. We also work on commercial and office buildings, municipal and institutional facilities, and senior housing. The work ranges from design-phase consulting on new construction to forensic investigation and repair design on existing buildings. Across all of it, the common thread is the $2M to $100M asset class and a focus on preventing water intrusion. The selected projects on this page are representative rather than exhaustive. For experience specific to your building type, the best step is to reach out.

Envelope consulting often touches sensitive matters — construction defects, warranty disputes, and litigation support — so we protect client confidentiality as a matter of course. Some projects we can name because they are publicly marketed developments; others, especially those involving forensic investigation or legal exposure, we describe by sector and building type without identifying the owner. The case studies on this page are anonymized for exactly that reason, though the outcomes are real. This discretion is part of how we work and why clients trust us with difficult problems. If you need references, we can often provide them privately and with the relevant party's permission. Protecting our clients' interests takes priority over showcasing our work. That said, we are happy to discuss relevant experience directly when you contact us.

Yes. While this page shows a representative selection, we have project experience across many building types and locations that may not be featured here. When you contact us, tell us your building type, size, and location, and we can speak to directly relevant experience — and, where appropriate and permitted, provide references. Because much of our work involves confidential or sensitive matters, references are typically shared privately rather than published. This lets us match you with the most relevant examples while respecting our other clients' privacy. It also means the experience we describe is genuinely comparable to your situation rather than a generic highlight reel. The most useful conversation starts with the specifics of your project. Reach out and we will connect the dots to work we have done.

Yes, and our project portfolio spans both. On new construction, we engage during design and construction — reviewing the envelope, detailing critical assemblies, and verifying performance with accredited testing before occupancy. On existing buildings, we investigate failures, assess conditions, and design repairs, often on buildings we had no hand in creating. Many projects blend the two: a forensic investigation that leads to a remedial design, or a condition assessment that informs a capital-improvement plan. The underlying expertise is the same, because preventing failures and diagnosing them draw on the same building science. Whether you are breaking ground or dealing with a decades-old problem, the envelope discipline applies. Tell us where your project stands and we will explain how we would approach it.

Multifamily and mixed-use developments make up the largest share of our project work, which reflects where envelope risk is greatest. In California especially, for-sale multifamily carries a 10-year latent-defect window and strict balcony-compliance requirements, so owners and developers invest in getting the envelope right. Beyond multifamily, we work regularly on commercial and office buildings, municipal and institutional projects, and senior housing, with additional work in hospitality, education, and data centers. Across these, the buildings share enough complexity to justify specialized envelope engineering. We deliberately do not take single-family residential work. This concentration keeps our expertise deep in the sectors we serve rather than spread thin. If your building falls in one of these categories, it is squarely in our wheelhouse.

Starting is straightforward: contact us with your building type, location, and what you need, and a senior consultant will follow up — usually within one business day — to understand the project and outline how we would help. You can call (866) 389-8883, email info@abedesigns.com, or use our contact form. If it is a new building, we will discuss where in the design or construction process we can add the most value; if it is an existing problem, we will talk through the symptoms and what a diagnosis would involve. Engaging us earlier generally saves the most money, because prevention costs a fraction of repair. There is no obligation in an initial conversation. Whatever the stage, we will give you a clear next step.