Projects

Config Projects

Multi-unit dwellings cover a wide range of building types, meeting the needs of a huge variety of people. Often in urban environments and large in scale, we have created custom designs to accommodate residents ranging from seniors to college students. Many times these structures must be integrated into a campus or must have built-in healthcare facilities, and with experience in all of these additional challenges, Forell Elsesser has consistently provided solutions that meet the needs of both the building owner and the future inhabitants.

Housing + Mixed Use

Multi-Unit Residential Projects

Greenwood Bay Condominiums

Drake Terrace Senior Housing

3850 18th Street Housing for the Elderly


<p>Chris Petteys serves as the fourth CEO in &nbsp;Forell | Elsesser’s six decades but drives the firm in collaboration with the rest of the executive management team. With a collective focus on building upon the firm’s strong reputation for technical leadership in seismic design, growing talent from within, and creating new opportunities and career paths for staff; Chris leads a firm rooted in engineering fundamentals, client service, performance-based design, and sustainable/resilient structures. From his experience leading large, complex structural projects, Chris has proven the effectiveness of his hands-on management style and enjoys interaction with clients and partners.</p>



<p>In his twenty years practicing as a structural engineer, Chris has navigated complex issues with a level head and taken unexpected approaches to successfully solving problems. He has a broad knowledge of all major construction materials for commercial, multi-family housing, and institutional structures; and is recognized for his efficient buildings and constructability of his designs for unique structures in high seismic regions. His more notable projects include the UC Berkeley California Memorial Stadium seismic upgrade and LinkedIn Middlefield Campus. Chris has both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree from UCLA.</p>



<p>When Chris is not working through creative solutions or managing the firm, he enjoys golfing, skiing, and spending time with his family.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Professional Associations</strong></h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) Seismology Committee, Former Chair</li>
</ul>


President and CEO

Christopher Petteys

Jewish Home of San Francisco, Goodman Building

American Baptist Homes of the West, Terraces of Los Gatos Life Care Facility


<p>As Director of Engineering Operations, Geoff Bomba is a Principal and a member of the Forell | Elsesser’s executive management team. Geoff helps drive business growth through resource planning and ensuring efficiency and creativity of our delivery methodology. Using cutting-edge performance-based design methodologies, Geoff develops engineering standards, systems, and quality controls that enhance Forell | Elsesser’s forward-thinking approach to bringing architectural visions alive. He maintains our high bar for exceptional work through a consistent embrace of technology and tools across all projects.</p>



<p>Since joining the firm in 2003, Geoff has been a leader in the engineering design of complex buildings and he has worked on educational, institutional, performing arts, laboratory, and historic renovation projects. Emphasizing customized solutions, Geoff plays a hands-on role in design-focused projects, taking challenging architectural visions and transforming them into elegant, buildable solutions, while always keeping a project’s specific needs in mind. Through his work on existing buildings and historic retrofits, Geoff brings new technologies to leverage the existing building structure capacity and minimize the impact of upgrades on the building itself.</p>



<p>Geoff is dedicated to advancing seismic design and structural performance. He was part of a collaborative team with the National Science Foundation and the Earthquake Engineering Resource Institute to better understand the structural response of high-performance structures in the 2011 Tohoku Japanese Earthquake. He also works with local university researchers to explore new composite connections for steel structures, evaluate damage from earthquakes, and develop new seismic isolation technology. Geoff is a California licensed Structural Engineer and received a Bachelor’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and a Master’s degree in Earthquake Engineering from Stanford University.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Professional Associations</strong></h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC),&nbsp;Seismology Committee, Past State Chair</li>



<li>Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)</li>



<li>San Francisco Planning Urban Research (SPUR)</li>



<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC)</li>
</ul>


Director of Engineering Operations

Geoff Bomba


<p>Paul Rodler has been with the firm since 1986 and is a Senior Principal and past COO of Forell | Elsesser. His straightforward approach to design is directly linked to his keen awareness of issues surrounding the constructability of buildings. He focuses on ease and economy of construction while creating buildable structural solutions for his clients.</p>



<p>As COO, Paul developed the company’s information technology systems to support Forell | Elsesser’s advanced BIM capabilities, and continues to help advance the firm to the leading edge of technical advancements within the industry. He also advocates for Integrated Project Delivery techniques to enable the efficiency and fast pace of design-build projects. Through his embrace of advancements in project design and delivery methods, Paul has made valued contributions to the success of numerous civic, education, healthcare, and data center projects. Paul is a licensed structural engineer in California and Missouri. He has both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Stanford University.</p>



<p>Paul can be found enjoying his passion for open-wheel car racing when he is not busy finding solutions to engineering challenges.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Professional Associations</strong></h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)</li>



<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC)</li>
</ul>


Senior Principal

Paul Rodler

Kramlich Residence

USF Loyola Housing

Santa Clara University Commons at Kennedy Mall

Notre Dame de Namur University Residence Hall

Cal State Monterey Bay North Quad Student Housing


<p>As Director of Business Strategy, Allen Nudel is a Principal and a member of Forell | Elsesser’s executive leadership team. Allen is a licensed Structural Engineer and has been with the firm since 2000. In addition to project work, Allen’s role includes overseeing the firm’s business development activities, new market sectors, new clients, and geographic expansion. With over 25 years of experience, Allen’s greatest strengths are a love of teaching and facilitating understanding between engineers, architects, and contractors. Constantly striving for mutual understanding makes him an excellent communicator and effective engineer.</p>



<p>Allen’s dedication and expertise throughout all phases of design and construction leads to successful, on budget project deliveries that achieve programmatic and design goals. He excels in client relations, drawing coordination, specifications and construction administration. He has a particular interest in collaborating with architects to maintain exposed structure of buildings. His wide range of experience includes education, institutional, commercial/corporate, athletic facilities, performing arts, multi-family housing, and tenant improvement projects. Allen is&nbsp;a licensed Structural Engineer in California, Arizona, and Colorado. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Master’s degree from UC Berkeley.</p>



<p>When Allen is not busy at work, he enjoys completing home renovation projects, spending time with his wife and two young daughters, and following pro baseball.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Professional Associations</h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC), Former Co-Chair and member, Sustainable Design Committee</li>



<li>City of Hope Real Estate and Construction Council, Northern California</li>



<li>Berkeley Unified School District Construction Advisory and Bond Oversight Committee</li>



<li>San Francisco Planning &amp; Urban Research&nbsp;Association (SPUR)</li>
</ul>


Director of Business Strategy

Allen Nudel


<p>As Director of Technical Excellence and a member of Forell | Elsesser’s executive management team, Principal Steve Marusich is responsible for growing the technical health and reputation of the firm. In this forward-thinking role, Steve leads the research, development, and adoption of new systems and technologies, particularly in the areas of seismic design, resilience in the face of natural hazards, and the reduction of embodied carbon. He is also responsible for the overall technical training of the staff and the quality of our analytical and design solutions.</p>



<p>In his 20 years as a licensed engineer, Steve has developed a systematic approach to evaluating potential design options while balancing performance, cost, schedule, and constructability to develop high-value solutions for his clients.&nbsp;&nbsp;Steve has also managed or consulted on many of Forell | Elsesser’s base-isolated projects over the last decade, including the retrofit of Pasadena City Hall and the new UCSF Ray &amp; Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building.&nbsp; Due to his extensive knowledge and experience in new, existing, and historic construction, Steve is also sought after to consult on structural engineering plan check and peer reviews.&nbsp; Steve received a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a Master’s degree from UC Berkeley.</p>



<p>When away from work, Steve enjoys spending time with his family, travel, golf, basketball, hiking, and exploring new restaurants.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Professional Associations</strong></h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Structural Engineers Association of&nbsp;California (SEAOC), Member</li>



<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC), Member</li>



<li>Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), Member<br>American Institute of Architects (AIA), Professional Affiliate</li>



<li>Lean Construction Institute, Member</li>
</ul>


Director of Technical Excellence

Steve Marusich

When packed into a crowded, urban environment, how do you renovate an old gem while adding a new one?

San Francisco Olympic Club

How do you provide a safe facility for Senior Living not far from a major earthquake fault?

Peninsula Healthcare District Residential Care Facility for the Elderly

How do you meet regulatory requirements during construction while keeping a skilled nursing facility for the elderly fully operational?

Jewish Home of San Francisco, Rosenberg Family Center & Synagogue


<p>Masume is a Principal and licensed Structural Engineer at Forell | Elsesser who brings over 16 years of experience and a breadth of knowledge that includes all major construction materials for educational, cultural, laboratory, and commercial buildings. She is proactive in her problem-solving approach and always looks at an issue from different perspectives to find the most appropriate solution.</p>



<p>Masume possesses a broad skill base in the seismic analysis of structures including linear, nonlinear, static, and dynamic analysis techniques. She has experience with foundation design including various piling systems, pre-stressed and reinforced concrete design, steel design, viscous dampers, and Buckling Restrained Braced Frames (BRBF). She has particular expertise in data analysis and advanced computer modeling of buildings. In particular, her modeling of earthquake loading is used to demonstrate structural capacity and pinpoint the deficient areas of a building requiring retrofit work. Masume earned a Bachelor’s degree from Sharif University of Technology in Iran, and obtained Master’s degrees at both the University of Arizona and UC Berkeley.</p>



<p>Masume enjoys hiking, yoga, and Persian calligraphy. She is passionate about what she does—so much that she recently finished a seismic hazard analysis on her own home.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Professional Associations</strong></h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC), Continuing Education Committee Chair (2009-2010)</li>



<li>Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)</li>



<li>San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association (SPUR)</li>
</ul>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Recent Awards</strong></h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC), Giles Scholarship Recipient (2010)</li>
</ul>


Principal

Masume Mansouri Dana

How do you bring new life to a senior living facility in a dense urban area that invigorates an entire neighborhood?

Jewish Home of San Francisco, Frank Residences, and Byer Square

When designing a massive intergenerational campus, how do you meet everyone's needs?

Taube-Koret Campus for Jewish Life, Oshman Family JCC & Moldaw Residences

How do you add a vertical addition to an existing residence hall with minimal structural upgrades to the building in under 24 months?

UC Santa Cruz Porter College Residence B Retrofit & Additions

How do you add beds to an existing residence hall with minimal structural upgrades to the building?

UC Santa Cruz Porter College Residence A Retrofit & Additions


<p>As an Associate, Lori brings a broad range of structural design experience to&nbsp; Forell | Elsesser. Her background in the construction phase of projects has given her insight into the many complexities of building design, and she now challenges herself to find elegantly simple and constructible design solutions. Her experience includes performing arts, education, institutional, healthcare, commercial, and high-end residential. Lori received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from UC San Diego.</p>



<p>Outside of engineering, Lori enjoys exploring the outdoors, baking, and the performing arts.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Professional Associations</strong></h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC)</li>
</ul>


Associate

Lori Jue


<p>Marco began his career with Forell | Elsesser in 1992. He excels at recognizing and proactively resolving project and design challenges, sophisticated analysis of complex structures, and translating these analyses into practical design solutions. He has a keen appreciation for the IPD process and BIM. Marco strives to integrate these industry advances into all of his projects.</p>



<p>Marco&nbsp;has also restored and upgraded some of the oldest and most iconic buildings in San Francisco including Old St. Mary’s Church in Chinatown and Saints Peter &amp; Paul Church in North Beach. Additionally, his broad work experience includes major transportation and institutional projects. Marco is a licensed Structural Engineer in California and Washington. He has a Bachelor’s degree from MIT and a Master’s degree from Stanford University.</p>



<p>Growing up a few blocks from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, Marco has had a lifelong fascination with architecture and structures.  He brings this passion for the built environment to all of his work at Forell | Elsesser.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Professional Associations</h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC)</li>



<li>American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)</li>
</ul>


Senior Project Manager

Marco Scanu


<p>As an Engineer at Forell | Elsesser, Aditi brings a broad range of experience to the team. She has had the opportunity to work on the design and analysis of new construction which includes residential and commercial structures as well as sculptures and artwork.<a>&nbsp;</a>In addition, she has experience working with different materials like steel, concrete, and timber for seismic as well as wind requirements. &nbsp;Aditi is passionate about green engineering and seeks to provide structural design solutions that reduce the impact of construction on the environment.</p>



<p>She received her Master’s degree from Stanford University. &nbsp;In addition to developing her understanding of structural design concepts, she worked on building her team collaboration and communication skills. &nbsp;She has been part of various multi-disciplinary and internationally diverse teams, responsible for designing structures in extreme seismic and hurricane conditions. Also, as the Corporate Relations Officer of the ASCE Student Chapter at Stanford, she has actively organized talks at Stanford related to various fields of civil engineering to help students network with scientists and industry professionals while getting a sneak peek into the exciting projects in the Bay Area.</p>



<p>In her free time, Aditi likes to paint and loves creating pieces in watercolors and oil paints for family and friends. She also maintains a travel sketchbook where she experiments with other mediums.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Professional Associations</h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)</li>



<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC)</li>
</ul>


Engineer

Aditi Palsapure

Union City, California

Masonic Homes, Assisted Living and Memory Care Building


<p>Lindsey is a California licensed Structural Engineer and Principal with Forell | Elsesser. She joined the firm in 2006. Her strength is in working collaboratively with clients to provide practical engineering solutions for their architectural visions while incorporating sustainable elements into the design.</p>



<p>Lindsey has worked on a variety of retrofit and new construction projects including multi-family housing, laboratories, and athletic facilities. She has exceptional knowledge and passion on the subject of sustainable design and has lectured and presented on the subject nationally. She serves as an advocate for green building practices and has written numerous reports and papers about the structural engineer’s role in sustainable design. Lindsey received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from UC Berkeley where she is currently serving as a member of the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Advisory Board.</p>



<p>When Lindsey is not working, Lindsey enjoys running competitively for the Olympic Club and cross-country skiing around Lake Tahoe.</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Professional Associations</strong></h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>UC Berkeley Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Advisory Committee</li>



<li>Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Housner Fellow &amp; 2016 Convention Chair</li>



<li>Structural Engineers Association of Northern California’s (SEAONC) Board Member</li>



<li></li>



<li>Structural Engineering Institute’s (SEI) Member</li>
</ul>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Awards</strong></h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>2013 SEAONC Zacher Award Recipient</li>



<li>2012 EERI Housner Fellows Program</li>
</ul>


Lindsey Maclise

How do you wrap a housing project around a historic grove of trees?

UC Berkeley Maximino Martinez Commons

How do you ensure an exterior that zigs and zags will remain structurally sound?

Parkview Terraces, Senior Housing