
<p>Forell Elsesser is providing structural engineering services for UC Berkeley&#8217;s new Undergraduate Academic Building (UAB). This 78,000 square-foot, L-shaped, 5-story facility will serve the Mathematics and Economics Departments, offering a combination of general classrooms on the lower levels and office spaces above. The UAB represents a forward-thinking approach to both structural engineering and sustainability, marking UC Berkeley’s first mass timber construction project.</p>



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How does the structural design of UC Berkeley’s first mass timber building integrate advanced seismic performance techniques while maintaining the sustainability and aesthetic benefits of exposed timber in a high seismic zone?


<p>Simin Naaseh is a Senior Principal, and serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Forell | Elsesser. She previously served as the firm’s CEO until August 2020. Simin is a recognized leader in the A/E/C industry and has devoted much time serving in leadership positions in many professional organizations. She thrives on building strong relationships with clients and colleagues and applies this strength internally to foster a collaborative working environment. She enjoys design-build projects and is a Designated Design-Build Professional (DBIA). Simin has an interest in large-scale and complex projects particularly because of their intrinsically collaborative nature. With a history of managing both large and small projects since 1983, Simin also recognizes that the key to a project’s success is working closely with clients to create a customized solution to suit each client’s goals, whether that means attention to seismic performance, cost-effectiveness, or a fast schedule.</p>



<p>Under her leadership as former CEO and president, Simin deepened the firm’s traditions of technical excellence and exceptional service and reinvigorated its long-standing tradition of investing in research and development. Simin’s special interest in advancing the firm as one of the most innovative structural engineering firms in the nation is shared by the new generation of firm leaders who continue to advance this goal. Simin is invested in mentoring the firm’s young staff, with an emphasis on supporting women and minorities to develop as leaders in the firm. Simin received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Azar Abadegan in Tabriz, Iran, and a Master’s degree from the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor.</p>



<p>When she is not busy with contributing to Forell | Elsesser’s success, Simin can be found hiking, cooking with her family, or indulging in her passion for music.</p>



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



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



<li>Design-Build Institute of America, Western Pacific Region (DBIA WPR), Board Member</li>



<li>OSHPD Hospital Building Safety Board Member (HBSB), Former Member 2008-2016</li>



<li>American Institute of Architects, San Francisco&nbsp;(AIASF), Former Public Board Member</li>



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



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



<li>California Preservation Foundation (CPF), Past Trustee</li>
</ul>


University of California, Berkeley, Weill Life Sciences Building Addition

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), Biosolids Digester Facilities Project

University of California, Berkeley, Heathcock Hall, College of Chemistry

BioMed Realty, Lincoln Center, Life Science Development

San Bernardino County, Valley Communications Center

Gregory Bateson Office Building, Seismic Retrofit

Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center, Berkeley, CA

UC Merced Downtown Campus

San Francisco State University, George and Judy Marcus Hall for the Liberal and Creative Arts

Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center

Pixar Animation Studios’ Film Production Facility

201 Post Street Seismic Rehabilitation

Utah State Capitol Seismic Retrofit

San Francisco City Hall, Seismic Retrofit

San Francisco 911 Emergency Communications Center

USF, John Lo Schiavo Center for Science and Innovation

UCSF, Wayne & Gladys Valley Center for Vision

UC Berkeley Undergraduate Academic Building

Santa Clara University Leavey Events Center

Santa Clara University Harrington Learning Center, Sobrato Technology Center, & Orradre Library

San Francisco State University, Mashouf Wellness Center

California State University, Sacramento, The WELL Center

Genentech Manufacturing Facility CCP2

Genentech Building 50

UCSF Parnassus Ray & Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine

San Francisco International Airport Rental Car Parking Garage

San Francisco International Airport North & South Public Parking Garages

UCSF Parnassus Clinical Sciences Building

Senior Principal

Simin Naaseh


<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>


Google, Office Building TI, 1001 Shoreline, Mountain View, CA

College of Alameda/Merritt College 860 Atlantic Avenue Adaptive Re-Use

Saints Peter & Paul Church Seismic Retrofit

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

LinkedIn, Middlefield Campus

JCC, Mono County Courthouse, Mammoth Lakes, CA

University of the Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry

UC Berkeley Jacobs Institute of Design Innovation

San Francisco Friends School Seismic Retrofit

California State University, East Bay, Student Services & Administration Building

University of California, Berkeley, Bakar BioEnginuity Hub

Build Change Haiti Reconstruction Effort

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Rooftop Garden

Presidio Children’s Theatre

Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA)

Principal

Masume Mansouri Dana


<p>As a Senior Engineer at Forell Elsesser, Arthur leverages his skills in structural design and analysis to improve the reliability of our built environment. He has contributed to a diverse set of public and private projects in both seismically active and hurricane-prone areas. Arthur is passionate about learning and applying advanced analysis techniques to accurately capture structural response in extreme events.</p>



<p>Arthur has led several international multidisciplinary teams in design competitions and enjoys collaborating with architects to bring their visions to reality. His interest in computational analysis methods and earthquake engineering dates back to his undergraduate studies when he served as the captain of the Rice University Seismic Design Team and researched on the seismic risk evaluation of nuclear waste storage casks. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Rice University and his Master’s degree from Stanford University.</p>



<p>Outside of work, Arthur enjoys experimenting with new recipes, going on road trips, and making tea with friends.</p>



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



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


Kilroy, Oyster Point, Parking Structure

Kenneth Hahn, Hall of Administration, Seismic Retrofit

Oregon State Capitol, Seismic Retrofit

Senior Engineer

Arthur Cao


<p>Mike is a licensed Structural Engineer with experience ranging from new construction of high-rise residential, medical office buildings, educational, data center structures and existing building repairs and retrofits. Mike brings a broad range of structural design, construction phase, and project management experience to Forell Elsesser. He also provides expert knowledge of reinforced concrete and post-tensioned concrete design and construction.</p>



<p>Mike is a leader in communication, bringing about a collaborative design team dynamic on the projects he works on. As a mentor to younger engineers, Mike fosters strategies to assist in developing skills to meet their career goals. Mike is a licensed Structural Engineer in Hawaii and a licensed Professional Engineer in Colorado and Virginia. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and his Master’s degree from the University of Kansas.</p>



<p>In his free time, Mike enjoys spending time with his family, downhill skiing, camping, and cat lap cuddles.</p>



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



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>American Concrete Institute (ACI)</li>



<li>Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American Concrete Institute (RMACI), President, Student Activities/Young Member Committee Chair</li>



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



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Longfellow, Life Science Development, Parking Structures, San Diego, CA

Mike DeRubeis


<p>Jostein is a Structural Designer at Forell | Elsesser and is a proactive engineer that enjoys collaborating, learning and problem solving. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University at Buffalo and his Master’s degree in Structural Engineering from UC Berkeley, Jostein is even more energized and focused on contributing to Forell Elsesser on developing safe, sustainable, and resilient structures.</p>



<p>Outside of the office, Jostein enjoys reading and playing guitar, as well as outdoor activities like soccer and skiing.</p>


Structural Designer

Jostein Seljegard

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