Kandou is a Bay Area structural engineering and testing practice. Inspired by nature and grounded in deep technical expertise, we bring clarity and confidence to complex projects so our clients can build for a more resilient tomorrow.

At Kandou Structural Engineering + Testing, design is not simply about calculations and codes, it is about unlocking the full potential of your vision. We begin with the essentials, always grounding our work in sound fundamentals, and we are equipped with advanced analytical methods and performance-based tools that allow us to respond to the unique demands of each project. Whether it is a hillside retaining wall supporting a dream home or a complex commercial structure serving multiple stakeholders, our approach is tailored, precise, and fearless.

Our can-do philosophy means we never let structural limitations stifle architectural imagination. By balancing safety, ease of permitting, sustainability, and budget, we create structural solutions that allow architects and owners to pursue bold ideas without compromise. Where conventional structural engineers may stop, we continue, pushing boundaries with creativity and rigor, ensuring that every design is not only possible but also practical, efficient, and inspiring.

Representative Projects
Eshleman Hall
30 Melrose Court

Kandou’s edge in seismic evaluations and retrofit comes from our command of advanced analysis methods and our practical experience with every major building material, including masonry, wood, concrete, steel, and composites. This broad foundation allows us to sharpen our pencils, applying the right level of analysis for each project. The result is a design or evaluation that avoids unnecessary overdesign while still achieving the seismic safety and performance that owners, investors, and regulators demand. Our approach is holistic, practical, and affordable, and it turns seismic risk from a constraint into a managed opportunity.

We tailor our services to the needs of different stakeholders:

For commercial real estate investors
We prepare ASTM-based Seismic Risk Assessment (SRA) reports, also known as PML reports, from Level 0 to Level 3.

For equity investors
We provide seismic risk and resilience assessments that support acquisition decisions and portfolio strategies.

For lenders and insurance companies
We assist in developing seismic risk policies and standards, and we act as an independent third-party peer reviewer.

For owners and property and facility managers
We deliver ASCE 41 seismic evaluations (Tier 1 to Tier 3), evaluations for exception to mandatory retrofit ordinances, and retrofit design for compliance or voluntary strengthening.

Representative Projects
MLK Hall
Burbank Mall Parking Garages
Shea Federal Courthouse

Kandou’s experience in shake-table testing of building systems and nonstructural components is shaped by a unique background of four years of full-scale testing at one of the world’s premier earthquake simulation facilities, the Structural Engineering and Earthquake Simulation Laboratory (SEESL) at the University at Buffalo. That foundation has been strengthened through direct involvement in helping manufacturers secure ICC-ES seismic certifications and OSHPD (now HCAI) OPM approvals.

For manufacturers, our approach to experimental mechanics is simple and effective: pair every test with computational analysis. We go into the laboratory prepared, and we leave with complete information that maximizes the return on your investment in shake-table time. Our familiarity with certification pathways, combined with relationships at major laboratories, ensures that manufacturers gain clear, defensible results that accelerate both compliance and market entry.

Representative Project
OmegaFlex

Kandou provides independent investigations of structural failures and damage, grounded in the same breadth of tools we use in design and retrofit projects. Our value in the forensic setting is threefold: the ability to determine the true cause of a failure with advanced analysis, the ability to communicate those findings clearly to non-technical audiences such as lawyers, judges, and juries, and the credibility that comes from our deep knowledge of building codes and standards, which we actively help to develop, along with our familiarity with the full spectrum of building materials and systems.

We tailor our services to the needs of different stakeholders:

For attorneys and law firms
Expert witness services for litigation, arbitration, and mediation involving structural performance, construction defects, or earthquake damage.

For insurers
Independent cause-and-origin evaluations of earthquake and structural damage claims.

For owners and managers
Objective assessments of damage following earthquakes, construction accidents, or material failures.

For contractors and design professionals
Technical peer reviews and forensic analysis to support or defend claims.

Representative Projects
Kinetic Structures
One Surf Way

We provide peer review across a wide spectrum of projects, from performance-based design of high-rise buildings to design and application of FRP materials, to finite element modeling of seismic isolators, and even ASTM-based SRA/PML reports.

Our approach to peer review is shaped by the belief that the role of a reviewer is to facilitate the structural engineer of record in achieving the project’s goals. We focus on being constructive, practical, and respectful of project realities.

Our approach to peer review

• We refrain from asking questions merely to satisfy curiosity or to “prove a point.”

• We avoid comments unless we can demonstrate they have a meaningful impact on the end result.

• Whenever we take exception to something, we offer practical solutions to resolve the issue.

What enables us to deliver consistently

• A broad and wholesome knowledge of construction materials and systems.

• Experience across all sides of the industry, which helps us understand the cost and time implications of what we do.

• Ability to automate analysis and review tasks for efficiency and thoroughness.

• More than 17 years of accumulated experience in peer review and advanced structural engineering.

• Ongoing collaborations with engineering firms and jurisdictions along the West Coast, which give us perspective and awareness of varying practices and requirements.
  
  

We also serve as owner’s representatives and second-opinion advisors, giving clients confidence that proposed designs are technically sound and cost competitive. In addition, we provide technical advisory services to help design teams and agencies interpret and apply building codes, standards, and performance guidelines on challenging projects.

Kandou’s specialty consulting extends beyond individual buildings to support resilience and innovation at scale. We help campuses and portfolios plan for seismic risk and resilience, so safety and continuity are considered across the entire built environment. We contribute to seismic policy and code development for banks and insurance companies, bringing insights from practice that shape standards and improve outcomes for the industry. We also design custom software and automation tools that make seismic risk and resilience evaluation faster, more consistent, and more accessible.

These services reflect our can-do mindset in a broader arena: advancing resilience, improving practice, and equipping stakeholders with the tools they need to make confident, informed decisions.

We can put the guideline I made for UBC as a consultant to ARUP as a representative project:

Serving as a consultant to Arup, Kandou’s founder developed the University of British Columbia’s campus guideline for seismic protection of building contents. The work organized and defined practical, vendor-ready measures for more than thirty categories of contents, including laboratory equipment, hazardous materials, museum collections, archives, and office furnishings. The guideline translates seismic risk into clear actions for safety and continuity of operations, with solutions targeted to facility managers and contractors and aimed at reducing large potential contents losses and downtime across the portfolio.