Services
Structural Engineering
With a singular focus on structural engineering excellence since its founding, JAMA has designed and delivered projects of varying scales and complexity for over 70 years. We draw from that history, but are not content simply doing what we have done before.
Our process is centered on a holistic approach to design and construction. We believe that great projects are a result of dialogue, collaboration and decisions made between client, architect, engineer and contractor. Through this process, we arrive at a structural design that is clear and efficient, has integrity, and reflects the underlying values of the architecture.
University of Arizona Health Sciences Innovation Building (HSIB)
JAMA’s enduring success and evolution is facilitated by embracing new and advanced technologies to deliver innovative and efficient structural solutions. Our team utilizes Revit and BIM360 as our primary production software and file-sharing tools. We supplement our production with expertise in Tekla, Rhino and Grasshopper for multi-discipline collaboration, a streamlined workflow from design to construction, and full integration between different platforms.
Four Seasons Los Angeles Private Residences
Perot Museum of Nature & Science
Seismic Evaluations and Retrofits
We believe the greenest building is the one that already exists. Through thoughtful design and creative engineering, we can not only reduce the carbon impact of construction by extending the life of an existing building, but we can also preserve its cultural value and support its programmatic goals while improving its seismic performance.
Glendale Central Library Renovation
Memphis Pyramid Seismic Evaluation
Caltech Linde Robinson Laboratory for Global Environmental Science
As industry-recognized experts in seismic evaluations and retrofits of existing buildings, JAMA utilizes nonlinear, linear, static, and dynamic seismic analyses procedures as well as performance-based design to determine a building’s seismic performance. The firm utilizes traditional and proprietary programs to evaluate historic and non-traditional structural systems including non-ductile concrete, unreinforced masonry, wood, and steel.
With in-depth knowledge of seismic evaluation procedures, expertise with all structural materials, and focus on constructability, our team finds elegant structural solutions best suited to an owner’s needs while meeting the building’s performance objectives.
Computational Design
In an industry known to be slow in adopting new technologies, JAMA is developing new computational design tools and implementing them into our workflow. Computational and parametric design offer numerous advantages over a traditional approach, from speeding up everyday design to allowing for geometries and structural solutions that would otherwise be too challenging to implement.
Sound Baffling
JAMA works with architects, fabricators, and contractors to develop computational workflows on a variety of project types, including new building design, existing building evaluation, façade engineering, and component design. These unique processes bring significant time and cost savings to our clients while delivering unparalleled freedom of form.
Operating primarily in Rhino and Grasshopper, our intimate knowledge of these programs coupled with our unique ability to write sophisticated, bespoke plugins allows us to explore, analyze, and quickly iterate and validate even the most complex architectural forms and geometries.
Lucas Museum Roof Ribbon
Design-Build
As the fastest growing method used to deliver construction projects in America, JAMA recognizes the value of design-build project delivery. Integral to all design-build projects is collaboration between all stakeholders. It is this central principle of collaboration, so embedded into our culture, that has allowed us to build and establish trusted partnerships with architects and contractors to deliver successful design-build projects.
JAMA brings extensive design-build experience on both public and private sector projects, focusing primarily on education, civic, healthcare, science + tech and aviation projects. Combining our collaborative approach with our integrated Construction Services expertise, we demonstrate added value by working directly with detailers and fabricators using advanced three-dimensional modeling software such as Tekla® to streamline fabrication of structural components.
Riverside Convention Center Expansion & Renovation
LAUSD Venice High School Modernization
San Diego Airport Airside Expansion
Construction Services
JAMA directly serves contractors and subcontractors during construction in various ways. Leveraging our fluency in both Revit and Tekla®, JAMA offers in-house structural detailing services to produce fabrication drawings, streamlining the conventional shop drawing process resulting in faster delivery and cost savings, with higher quality production.
UC San Diego Health Jacobs Medical Center
JAMA also supports contractors as their delegated design engineer, providing structural engineering services to design structural components deferred by the engineer of record such as stairs, metal stud framing, cladding systems, MEP support framing and anchorage systems. Other services include structural analysis for construction loading, rigging design, structural peer review, and tower crane foundation design.
Forensic Engineering
Highly regarded in the industry as subject matter experts in the practice of structural engineering, clients turn to JAMA to investigate and determine causes of failure for damaged structures and develop practical solutions for repair. JAMA is often called upon to provide expert assistance for resolving claims and disputes due to errors in design and construction, offering opinions and expert testimony based on decades of engineering and construction expertise combined with complex analysis and investigation.