Engineering and architectural services by William Frei Group

Our Services

Comprehensive architecture, engineering, and construction services each delivered with technical rigor, structural awareness, and an unwavering focus on buildability.

Architectural design and planning drawings
01

Architectural Design & Planning

William Frei Group's architectural design services encompass the full lifecycle of building design from initial programming and site analysis through schematic design, design development, and the production of comprehensive construction documents. Our architectural practice is distinguished by a deep integration with structural engineering, ensuring that every design concept is grounded in constructability and structural logic from the earliest stages.

We approach architectural design as an exercise in problem-solving. Every project begins with a rigorous analysis of the client's program requirements, site conditions, regulatory constraints, and budget parameters. This analytical foundation ensures that our designs are not speculative they are responsive to the specific conditions that will govern the project's success.

Scope of Services

  • Programming and needs assessment
  • Site analysis and feasibility studies
  • Schematic design and concept development
  • Design development with integrated structural coordination
  • Construction document production
  • Building code analysis and compliance
  • Zoning review and entitlement support
  • Material selection and specification
  • Construction administration and field observation
  • Interior space planning and layout optimization

Our Approach to Design

Unlike firms that treat architectural design and structural engineering as sequential activities, William Frei Group develops both concurrently. Our architects work alongside our structural engineers from day one, which means that structural systems are not afterthoughts layered onto a completed design they are integral to the design itself. This approach produces buildings with cleaner load paths, more efficient material use, fewer coordination conflicts, and ultimately lower construction costs.

Our design philosophy emphasizes clarity of organization, material honesty, appropriate scale, and long-term durability. We design buildings that are straightforward to construct, efficient to operate, and adaptable to future needs. Every drawing that leaves our office has been reviewed for both architectural quality and structural feasibility.

02

Structural Engineering

Structural engineering is the technical backbone of William Frei Group. Our structural engineering practice provides comprehensive analysis, design, and detailing services for buildings and structures across all major material systems steel, concrete, masonry, timber, and hybrid construction. Led by founder William Frei, whose dual expertise in architecture and structural engineering defines the firm's identity, our structural work is characterized by efficiency, clarity, and a deep understanding of real-world construction conditions.

We engineer structures that perform. Every beam, column, connection, and foundation is designed with a clear understanding of the forces it must resist, the construction methods that will be used to build it, and the long-term performance requirements it must satisfy. Our structural documents are produced with the contractor in mind dimensioned, detailed, and noted to minimize ambiguity and reduce requests for information in the field.

Scope of Services

  • Gravity and lateral load system design
  • Seismic analysis and design
  • Wind load analysis and resistant design
  • Foundation design shallow and deep systems
  • Steel, concrete, masonry, and timber structural design
  • Structural analysis using advanced modeling software
  • Connection design and detailing
  • Structural assessments and condition surveys
  • Peer review of structural designs by other firms
  • Construction phase structural observation
  • Load path analysis and optimization
  • Progressive collapse evaluation

Engineering Standards

All structural work produced by William Frei Group conforms to the latest editions of applicable building codes including the International Building Code (IBC), ASCE 7 for minimum design loads, ACI 318 for concrete design, AISC 360 for steel design, and the National Design Specification for wood construction. We maintain rigorous internal quality control protocols including independent peer review of all structural calculations and drawings before issuance.

Structural engineering analysis and modeling
Electrical engineering systems design
03

Electrical Engineering

William Frei Group's electrical engineering services provide comprehensive design of power distribution, lighting, fire alarm, telecommunications, and low-voltage systems for commercial, institutional, and residential buildings. Our electrical engineers work in close coordination with our architectural and structural teams, ensuring that electrical systems are fully integrated into the building design from the schematic phase forward not retrofitted after the architecture is complete.

Our approach to electrical engineering emphasizes reliability, energy efficiency, code compliance, and maintainability. We design electrical systems that meet current operational demands while accommodating future capacity expansion. Every panel schedule, circuit layout, and conduit routing is developed with an understanding of the structural framing and architectural finishes it must coordinate with.

Scope of Services

  • Power distribution system design
  • Lighting design and controls
  • Emergency and standby power systems
  • Fire alarm and detection system design
  • Telecommunications and data infrastructure
  • Security and access control system layout
  • Energy code compliance and analysis
  • Electrical load calculations
  • Panel schedules and circuit design
  • Coordination with utility providers
  • Electrical specifications and equipment selection

Integrated Coordination

Because our electrical engineers share an office with our architects and structural engineers, coordination happens in real time rather than through formal request-and-response cycles. Electrical routing conflicts are identified and resolved during design development, not during construction. This integrated workflow reduces change orders, eliminates costly field modifications, and produces cleaner, more efficient construction documents.

04

Design-Build Services

William Frei Group's design-build delivery model offers clients a single point of responsibility for both design and construction. Under the design-build approach, the firm serves as the sole contracting entity, managing architectural design, engineering, and construction under one agreement. This eliminates the adversarial dynamics that can develop between separate design and construction firms, streamlines communication, and creates direct accountability for project outcomes.

Design-build is not simply a contracting method for William Frei Group it is the natural expression of our integrated practice model. Because our architects, engineers, and construction managers already work collaboratively within the firm, the design-build delivery method allows us to formalize what we do naturally: deliver complete projects with unified leadership and coordinated execution.

Scope of Services

  • Single-source project delivery from concept to occupancy
  • Integrated design and engineering under one contract
  • Guaranteed maximum price (GMP) or lump-sum contracting
  • Preconstruction services including budgeting and scheduling
  • Subcontractor procurement and management
  • Value engineering with design integrity preservation
  • Permitting and regulatory coordination
  • Construction phase management and quality control
  • Commissioning and project closeout

Client Benefits

Clients who select design-build delivery with William Frei Group benefit from faster project timelines, reduced change order exposure, single-point accountability, and the assurance that the firm designing their building is the same firm building it. There is no gap between design intent and construction execution because the same team is responsible for both.

Our design-build projects consistently demonstrate cost savings of 10-15% compared to traditional design-bid-build delivery, along with schedule compression of 15-25%. These efficiencies are achieved through early cost feedback during design, parallel design-construction workflows, and the elimination of re-design cycles caused by coordination failures between separate firms.

Design-build project execution by William Frei Group
Construction management and site oversight
05

Construction Management

William Frei Group provides professional construction management services for projects where the client requires expert oversight of the construction process without the design-build delivery model. Our construction management team brings disciplined project controls, proactive risk management, and technical field expertise to ensure that projects are delivered on schedule, within budget, and to the quality standards specified in the contract documents.

Our construction managers are not administrative observers they are technically trained professionals with deep understanding of structural systems, building assemblies, and construction methods. This technical grounding allows them to identify and resolve issues before they become problems, communicate effectively with both the design team and the contractor, and make informed decisions in the field when conditions deviate from the documents.

Scope of Services

  • Preconstruction planning and scheduling
  • Bid package preparation and contractor prequalification
  • Contract negotiation and administration
  • Master schedule development and monitoring
  • Cost tracking and budget management
  • Quality assurance and quality control programs
  • Safety program oversight and compliance
  • Shop drawing and submittal review coordination
  • Change order evaluation and negotiation
  • Progress reporting and owner representation
  • Punch list management and project closeout
  • Commissioning coordination

Field Expertise

Because William Frei Group is both a design firm and a construction management firm, our field staff understands the design intent behind every specification and detail. This dual perspective is invaluable during construction, where field conditions frequently require interpretation and judgment. Our construction managers do not simply enforce compliance with the documents they understand the engineering rationale behind the documents and can make informed recommendations when field conditions warrant consideration of alternatives.

06

Renovation & Structural Upgrades

William Frei Group provides comprehensive renovation and structural upgrade services for existing buildings that require modernization, repurposing, structural strengthening, or seismic retrofit. Our experience working with existing structures including historic buildings, aging commercial properties, and institutional facilities gives us a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities inherent in renovation work.

Renovation projects are fundamentally different from new construction. They require investigative skills, adaptive engineering, and a willingness to work within the constraints of existing conditions. Our team excels at assessing existing structural systems, identifying deficiencies, and designing targeted interventions that achieve the client's objectives without unnecessary disruption or cost.

Scope of Services

  • Structural condition assessments and surveys
  • Load capacity evaluation for change-of-use projects
  • Seismic retrofit design and engineering
  • Structural strengthening using steel, concrete, or fiber reinforcement
  • Foundation underpinning and stabilization
  • Building envelope renovation and replacement
  • Adaptive reuse design for existing structures
  • Phased renovation planning for occupied buildings
  • Code compliance upgrades for existing buildings
  • Historic preservation structural consulting
  • Demolition planning and structural shoring design

Assessment-Driven Approach

Every renovation project begins with a thorough assessment of the existing structure. We conduct field investigations, review original construction documents when available, perform material testing as needed, and develop a clear understanding of the building's current structural capacity and condition. This assessment forms the foundation for all subsequent design decisions, ensuring that our renovation strategies are appropriate, cost-effective, and structurally sound.

Our experience with renovation work has taught us that existing buildings always have stories to tell construction details that differ from the original drawings, materials that have deteriorated in unexpected ways, and hidden conditions that only reveal themselves during demolition. We plan for these discoveries and build contingency into our renovation programs so that surprises in the field do not derail the project schedule or budget.

Building renovation and structural upgrade work
William Frei Group project
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