About Boston Building Consultants
Boston Building Consultants provides professional engineering services to owners, architects, institutions, contractors, and project/construction managers, who are involved with the structural design, construction, maintenance, repair and performance of buildings and building systems.
Since its founding in 1984, Boston Building Consultants has established a reputation for innovative solutions to complex structural problems in existing buildings, historic restorations, and conventional new building construction. Our services include consultation on appropriate structural and material systems, preparation of working drawings and specifications, review of structural shop drawings and field review of construction.
Boston Building Consultants is capable of handling large complex projects or small residential renovations. We believe our technical and historical expertise of structures along with our personal attention to each project sets us apart from others.
Regardless of the size, we provide personal services on every project. The individuals involved in the design process provide continuity throughout construction including shop drawing review and site inspections.
Boston Building Consultants team approach, technical expertise and historical knowledge of building structures has set us apart from other firms and contributed to our long-term success and respect from our clients.
Boston Building Consultants Team
Daniel J. Platcow, P.E.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Mr. Platcow has been practicing structural design of unique and interesting building projects for 40 years. His experience varies from the standard office building to the adaptive reuse of historic buildings. Mr. Platcow is currently Principal and Owner of Boston Building Consultants. Recent interesting projects include a new Squash Ct. facility at Tufts University Medford, MA, Athletic Facility Addition / Renovation at Dexter Southfield School in Brookline, MA; Renovation and adaptive reuse of the Historic North Benett St. School in Boston, MA to accommodate an Elementary Public School and Renovation of an existing Historic VFW Post to accommodate a mixed use retail and residential property in Natick MA.
Mr. Platcow is a registered Professional Engineer in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut,
Vermont, Rhode Island, Michigan, & Pennsylvania.
RECENT WORK:
- Athletic Facilities for private institutions including Tufts University. Dexter Southfield Brookline,
MA; YMCA Keene, NH, Brown University Providence RI, Noble and Greenough Dedham, MA;
Milton Academy Milton, MA and St. Paul’s School Concord, NH. - Public Schools in Bourne, Holbrook, Franklin, Boston, Reading, Woburn, Easton, Beverly,
Cohasset, Everett and Lawrence MA and Jaffrey and Rindge, NH - Renovations and additions to several Religious facilities including Boston, Lexington, Newton, MA
and Summit NJ - Public Libraries in Leicester, Mattapoisett, Truro, Brewster, Newbury and Lexington, MA.
- Public safety facilities in Gloucester, Stoneham, Mashpee, Cambridge, Wrentham, Canton, West
Newbury and Nantucket MA. - Office buildings in Natick, Cambridge and Lexington, MA and Merrimac, NH.
- One and two family and multi-family residences in MA, NH and VT.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE:
- President: Boston Building Consultants, Consulting Engineers
Boston, Massachusetts (1985-Present) - Engineer: Abraham Woolf & Associates, Consulting Engineers
Brookline, Massachusetts (1983-1985) - Design Engineer: Stone & Webster Engineering Corp. Boston, Massachusetts (1981-1983)
EDUCATION:
- BSCE Northeastern University (1981)
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
- American Institute of Steel Construction
James A. Balmer, P.E.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Mr. Balmer has over 40 years of experience in the structural design of buildings with involvement in a
variety of interesting and well-known projects from complex renovations to new construction. Currently,
he is a Principal of Boston Building Consultants. Recent projects include: an addition and complicated
renovation to the historic Whaling Museum in Nantucket, a new 9 building campus High School in
Lawrence, MA, and the restoration and extension of the Hanover Theater in Worcester.
Mr. Balmer is a registered Professional Engineer in Massachusetts – #29743, and New York
He is an acting member of the Structural Advisory Committee for the Massachusetts State Building Code.
RECENT WORK:
- Renovation to Sherborne Library, Sherborne, MA
- Restoration and addition to the Hanover Theater, Worcester MA.
- Façade repairs to the Kresge Building and Building #1 at the Harvard School of Public Health , Boston.
- Façade Investigation and emergency repairs at the Little Building, Emerson College, Boston.
- Exterior masonry repairs to the Strand and Shubert Theaters, Boston, MA.
- Lawrence High School Campus, Lawrence MA.
- Renovations and additions to Public libraries in Leominster, Georgetown and Falmouth MA.
- Masonry reconstruction of the “Old Chapel Steeple” at University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
- Restoration of the Old South Meeting House, Boston, MA.
- Adaptive reuse and addition to the historic Whaling Museum in Nantucket, MA.
- Post tensioning and strengthening of failed timber roof trusses at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA.
- Preservation awards received for Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, MA; and Nott Hall at Union College, Schenectady, NY.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE:
- Vice President: Boston Building Consultants, Boston, (1984-present)
- Senior Engineer: Brown Rona, Inc., Boston (1976-1984)
- Engineer: Weidemann Brown, Inc, Cambridge (1972-1976)
EDUCATION:
M.S., Civil Engineering Tufts University (1974)
B.S., Civil Engineering Tufts University (1972)
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
- Boston Association of Structural Engineers
- Structural Advisory Committee, MA State Building Code
Alan Ankers, P.E.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Mr. Ankers is a Structural Engineer with forty years of experience in the design and site supervision of a variety of projects in the United States and the United Kingdom. He is highly experienced in structural design involving renovation and modification of existing buildings, as well as new construction using all of the commonly used buildings materials. Mr. Ankers is a registered Professional Engineer in Massachusetts #39412, and a Chartered Engineer in the United Kingdom.
RECENT WORK:
New Dance Building, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, MI. Steel-framed addition and renovation of existing wood and masonry building. $8M contract value, projected completion 2020.
New school building complex for the James F. Peebles Elementary School in Bourne, MA. Steel-framed classroom wings; Long span joists and masonry walls for gymnasium and cafetoria. $24M contract value, completed in 2019.
New Lower School building at Dexter Southfield School, Brookline, MA. Three-story steel framed building, $15M contract value, projected completion 2020.
Masonry and steel framed addition and renovations to historic masonry building for the Leicester Public Library in Leicester, MA. $9M contract value, completed in 2018.
Deerfield Academy Center for the Arts: extensive renovations of existing buildings, including new balcony and catwalks in auditorium, and new steel-framed additions to house an Art Gallery and Concert Hall. $22M contract value, completion of construction 2014.
Steel framed addition and renovations to historic masonry
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE:
Senior Engineer: Boston Building Consultants Boston, Massachusetts (2004 – Present)
Principal: Hawksworth, Bibb, Inc. Boston, Massachusetts (1994 – 2004)
Senior Engineer: Boston Building Consultants Boston, Massachusetts (1986 – 1994)
Engineer: Ove Arup & Partners Sheffield, England (1980 – 1986)
EDUCATION:
University of Sheffield – B. Eng. (1980)
