Building & Design

OCI Group offers comprehensive structural design services for a wide range of projects, including new construction, renovations, change of use, additions, repairs, and non-building structures. Whether designing from the ground up or adapting existing structures for new purposes, we apply advanced engineering principles to deliver innovative solutions that prioritize safety, functionality and long-term performance. We work closely with clients, architects, and project stakeholders to understand the specific vision and requirements, and maintain close communication throughout to ensure that our solutions align with the architectural intent, aesthetic goals, budget, and timelines.

We provide structural design for a variety of small projects, including houses, garages and other accessory buildings, decks, barns, and more. We can design for all sorts of scenarios, using wood, engineered wood products, structural and cold-formed steel, concrete, masonry, aluminum and other materials.

Structural design services we can provide for new construction include:

Foundations
Retaining walls
Basement walls
Footings
Pile & grade beam
Slab-on-grade
Steel helical piles
Permanent Wood Foundations (PWFs)
Oversized basement windows (over 1.2 m [4ft] wide)

Walls
Wind walls
Shear walls
Bearing walls
Load-bearing headers
Dropped headers
Brick lintels
Tall wood walls (over 3.6 m [12 ft] tall)
Slender masonry walls (height over 20x thickness)

Floors
Beams and joists
Flush beam framing
Reinforced openings
Cantilevers

Roofs
Rafters
Joists
Site-built trusses or gambrel frames

Extreme Loading
Storage rooms
Hot-tub supports
Supports for exercise equipment
Fall-arrest anchor points
Storm safe rooms
Rooms under a garage or driveway
Equipment sensitive to vibration
Owner specified loads exceeding minimum code requirements

Modifying an existing structure to suit your needs? We can analyze the existing structure and design any structural changes necessary to carry the new loads. Even if you’re just re-purposing an old building for a new use, the new loads might be a lot heavier than the original structure was designed for. Another scenario many people don’t consider is that adding insulation to your roof means there will be less snow melting from it in the winter. Many roof collapses have occurred because insulation was added without first checking if there’s enough load-carrying capacity in the structure.

Structural design services we can provide for renovations include:

• • Load-bearing wall removal
  • Window or door enlargement
  • Adding roof insulation
  • Energy efficient building envelope
    • Supporting heavy loads
    • Clay or stone roof tiles
    • Concrete floor topping or other heavy finishes
    • Pianos, hot-tubs, stone fireplaces, library archives, etc.
    • Change of use or occupancy

We can design repairs for old or damaged structures. We’ve designed repairs for all sorts of damage. We’ll work with you and your contractor to make sure the repair not only restores structural integrity, but is workable and cost effective.

Some examples of scenarios we can design repairs for include:

• Cracked or bowing foundation walls
• Cracked, cut, or sagging joists, beams, rafters, or trusses
• Leaning buildings
• Sinking foundations
• Wood rot and insect damage
• Accidental damage

We offer comprehensive architectural services that seamlessly integrate with our engineering expertise to deliver innovative and functional designs. Our skilled architectural designers collaborate closely with clients to understand their unique vision and requirements, creating aesthetically compelling and sustainable solutions for a wide range of projects. From conceptual planning and design development to project management and construction administration, we ensure every detail is thoughtfully executed to achieve exceptional quality and efficiency.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning play a key role in a building’s performance, energy efficiency, and of course, the comfort of its occupants. Collaborating with experts across our other disciplines, we design mechanical systems for new construction as well as retrofitting existing systems. We take into consideration local climate, occupancy requirements and the relationship between HVAC systems and the building envelope to produce designs that are practical and efficient while delivering high-performance.