Building Sciences & Engineering

Many substances and building materials can be hazardous to people and the environment. These include asbestos, radon, lead, mercury, PCBs, mould, ozone-depleting substances, and other chemicals and substances commonly found within the built environment. 

These materials can cause problems for workers and building occupants if they’re inappropriately managed or disturbed during renovation or demolition work. What’s more, by law employers must protect their workers from exposure to hazardous materials. It’s crucial, therefore, that these materials be identified, managed, disturbed, and disposed of in safe and correct ways.  

Our Englobe team of professionals, which includes certified industrial hygienists (CIH) and registered occupational hygienists (ROH), has broad experience in resolving problems caused by the presence of hazardous materials. Our goal is to ensure a healthy and safe environment for workers and building occupants, surpassing regulatory requirements and best practices. 

We’ve consulted on projects ranging from the simple removal of lead-based paint from heritage structures to the complete abatement and remediation of hazardous materials within hundreds of buildings at a federal facility. We have even remediated remote sites in the High Arctic that had been abandoned for decades, helping to return the environment to its original pristine condition.  

This breadth of consulting experience is invaluable to clients seeking the right way to handle hazardous materials and waste. You can trust our Englobe team to help you protect your facilities, your people, and your community.  

Our services include: 

• Designated substances and hazardous building material surveys (asbestos, lead, mould, etc.) 
• Asbestos inventories and management plans 
• Hazardous materials abatement (specifications, tendering, contract administration, contractor oversight, inspections, confirmatory testing) 
• Indoor air quality assessment 
• Occupational and industrial hygiene  
• Worker exposure assessments (chemical, dust, noise, fumes) 
• Hazardous and non-hazardous waste audits 
• Drinking water quality testing 
• Emergency response (fire, flood) 
• Health and safety monitoring and management  
• Evaluation and mitigation design for radon in buildings  
• Respiratory protection training and qualitative and quantitative respirator fit-testing 
• Training and awareness (e.g., asbestos, lead, mould, silica, PCBs). 

Prevent long-lasting damage. Maintain and protect. 

Water infiltration can cause extensive, costly damage to a building. Taking rapid action at the right time is key to avoiding problems down the road. 

At Englobe, our team has supported architects, building managers, owners and other real estate stakeholders with roofing and waterproofing services for over 40 years.  

Our clients can rest easy thanks to our rapid response time and complete range of services, including  

• An analysis of your roof’s remaining lifetime and any required repairs or maintenance  
• Complete computerized roof management service powered by Dashboard, a digital solution
• Determination of the sources of water infiltration and assessment using specialized techniques including infrared thermography, nuclear hygrometry and resistive hygrometry 

Englobe’s trained technicians are certified in roof inspection and can take quick, professional action to remediate problems and bypass future issues. You can count on our team to help protect your building’s integrity and your investment.  

Avoid hidden problems. Remain compliant and protected. 

Timely maintenance and repairs are crucial to prolonging a building’s useful life and securing its owners’ investment.  

For years, Englobe’s experienced professionals have offered building envelope inspection services to protect your properties, identify critical maintenance needs, and comply with all government regulations and standards.  

Our services include: 

• Inspecting building façades to assess compliance with all applicable local regulations 
• Analyzing envelope performance  
• Inspecting rope access  
• Identifying potential seepage 
• Preparing plans and specifications for corrective work, and managing these projects 
• Thermographic scans of roofs and building elevations 
• Air leakage and water infiltration testing on building envelope components 

A functional, reliable mechanical system is essential to the comfort of any building. 

The Englobe team has extensive experience in designing plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and fire protection systems in commercial, institutional, manufacturing, light industrial, retail, and multi-unit residential facilities.  

Our mechanical team has delivered design and management services to both public and private sector clients. These include developing district heating, service tunnels, office buildings, pumping stations, water treatment plants, national franchises for both retail and food service, high-rise residential properties, schools, hospitals, hotels, car dealerships and processing facilities.  

Our goal is to create seamless mechanical systems that go virtually unnoticed by occupants. Clients and building owners will benefit from a mechanical system that answers their needs for cost efficiency, manageable operating costs, and long-term functionality. 

Our team-based approach remains focused on delivering carefully customized projects, on time and on budget, for every Englobe client. 

Englobe’s electrical team is a close-knit, efficient group who can confidently lead you through the design, construction, and operational phases for all electrical aspects of the built environment. 

Our electrical services include conceptual and detailed design, tender call and contract administration, construction supervision and inspections, commissioning, and AutoCAD drawings. We’ve designed and commissioned a wide variety of projects such as sanitary system pumping stations and potable/wastewater treatment facilities with fully-automated operations, PLC systems and motor controls.  

Recently, we’ve consulted on such diverse projects as municipal offices, commercial and multi-residential buildings, interior/exterior and area lighting, heating systems, fire detection systems, data networks and power distribution. 

You can be confident that your electrical project is in excellent hands with our team – a true powerhouse within the industry. 

Every aspect of structural design. Any type of building.  

Every building is unique… as unique as each client’s needs. As lead consultant or as part of a specialty group, Englobe’s building engineering team can take on the design, inspection, assessment, remediation and quality observation for projects of any size, right across Canada. 

Our key service areas include: 

• Detailed structural design of industrial and commercial buildings and bridges 
• Structural investigations and reports 
• Seismic evaluation and upgrades  
• Production of shop drawings  
• Structural weakening for demolition, dismantling, and structural remediation 
• Project and construction management 
• Structure adequacy review  
• Building condition assessment 
• Testing and commissioning 

Our team can lead or collaborate to support your building project, from the earliest planning stages through to operation, restoration, rehabilitation, and demolition. You can count on us to deliver quality, value-added service to ensure the success of your projects.  

First responders need an environment that is both workplace and home. We’ll help you design and build it. 

Fire stations, ambulance bays and police stations require a flexible combination of functional environment and a touch of hominess for the people who work and live there.  

At Englobe, our team understands how to combine a highly functional work environment with a home away from home. These facilities require careful planning - from oversized bays for large first-response vehicles and specialized communications equipment to alert the community, to comfortable sleeping quarters and flexible living spaces to accommodate multiple shifts.  

Our experienced, multidisciplinary experts can resolve structural, heating, plumbing, and ventilation concerns for both new builds and renovations. We specialize in systems for stand-by and emergency power, uninterruptible power supply and communications (sound, security, emergency calls, structured voice and data cabling) as well as life safety systems such as exit lighting, fire alarms and voice communication. 

Our team can help you create a sustainable living environment that supports your people so they can do their jobs effectively and comfortably.