What Peoples Associates does

Peoples Associates Structural Engineers (PASE), founded in June 1990 by Don Peoples and headquartered in San Jose, California, is a privately held structural engineering consulting firm that delivers design, analysis, seismic evaluation, retrofit, and construction administration services for building and infrastructure projects. The firm operates across eight market sectors — Mission Critical Data Centers, Multifamily/Residential, Mixed-Use, Commercial, Institutional, Bridges, Cryogenic, and Utility Infrastructure — with hyperscale data center design and large-scale multi-family/mixed-use developments as its two primary verticals. PASE's named client roster includes Meta, Vantage Data Centers, Fleet Data Centers, CoreSite, Digital Realty, Savvis/Cyxtera, and large mixed-use developers, with the firm claiming 250+ years of combined engineering experience, licensure across 25+ U.S. states plus the EU, and a cumulative project portfolio spanning 9+ million SF and 650+ MW of mission-critical capacity plus 35+ million SF of multifamily work.

PASE's underlying technology stack is built around BIM-enabled workflows using AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks, and BIM360, with specialized seismic and anchorage design capabilities and emerging sustainable practices (CLT, MPP, Type 1L Portland Limestone Cement) for data center modules. The business model is professional services project-based consulting: fees are quoted per project scope, no public pricing or rate cards exist, and the firm relies on its reputation (ENR Best of the Best 2012, ENR California Best Projects 2021, SVBJ Largest Engineering Firms 2022), direct enterprise sales relationships, and a recently launched Prime Consulting & Project Delivery capability (2026) to capture work. PASE operates five offices across the U.S. (San Jose, San Ramon, Sacramento, North Bethesda/DMV) and Europe (Zagreb, Croatia), reaching clients in North America, Europe, and Asia. The firm is owned and led by a five-principal team (Bill Wells, Azlan Ezaddin, Greg Bruce, Dave Lo, Matt Knutsen) that succeeded founder Don Peoples around 2021, with President Azlan Ezaddin (40+ years experience, Stanford M.S.) heading the firm. PASE acquired Finn Design Group in March 2023 as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Name

Peoples Associates

Legal name

Peoples Associates Structural Engineers

Website

https://pase.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

PASE is a privately held structural engineering consulting firm founded in 1990 and headquartered in San Jose, CA. It designs hyperscale data centers, multifamily, and mixed-use buildings for enterprise clients including Meta, Vantage, and Fleet Data Centers, operating from five U.S. and European offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction Management (Agency/Owner’s Rep) (IMAFAAAC), Structural & Seismic Retrofit Services (EDAEABAF)

Keywords

• Structural engineering services
• Mission critical data centers
• Seismic retrofit design
• Multifamily residential engineering
• Building information modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Structural Engineering Consulting Services: Professional engineering services including structural design of new buildings, renovations/restorations, seismic evaluations, retrofit services, and construction administration. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting fees, typically quoted per project scope.
2. Prime Consulting and Project Delivery: New service offering launched in 2026 - PASE serves as prime consultant managing complex project delivery for select clients, coordinating teams of industry partners from vision to reality.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PASE provides structural engineering consulting services including new building design, renovations/restorations, structural and seismic evaluations, seismic retrofit and strengthening, anchorage and bracing design for MEP and non-structural components, and non-building structure design. The firm serves eight markets — mission-critical data centers, multifamily/residential, mixed-use, commercial, institutional, bridges, cryogenic, and utility infrastructure — via project-based consulting fees delivered by licensed engineers across five offices in the U.S. and Europe.

Product overview

PASE (Peoples Associates Structural Engineers) is a structural engineering firm offering comprehensive engineering services across eight market sectors: Mission Critical Data Centers, Multifamily/Residential, Mixed-Use, Commercial, Institutional, Bridges, Cryogenic, and Utility Infrastructure. The firm provides core structural engineering services including new building design, renovations and restorations, seismic evaluations, retrofitting, anchorage and bracing design, and non-building structure design. PASE is recognized for its expertise in large-scale data centers (including hyperscale and modular facilities) and high-density multifamily developments. The company operates as a services firm rather than a software product company, delivering engineering solutions through BIM-enabled workflows using tools such as Revit and AutoCAD.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mission Critical Data Centers Structural Engineering Structural engineering services for hyperscale, colocation, and modular data center facilities, including new building design, retrofits, MEP equipment anchorage, electrical substation design, and seismic hardening for enterprise and hyperscale operators.
• Multifamily/Residential Structural Engineering Structural design services for multifamily residential developments including apartments, condominiums, senior housing, and mixed-use podium structures for residential developers and housing authorities.
• Mixed-Use Structural Engineering Structural engineering for mixed-use developments combining residential units, retail space, structured parking, and commercial spaces in single complexes for mixed-use developers.
• Commercial Structural Engineering Structural design services for commercial buildings including offices, hotels, retail centers, business parks, tilt-up structures, and tenant improvements for commercial developers and owners.
• Institutional Structural Engineering Structural engineering for institutional facilities including schools, universities, churches, libraries, community buildings, and healthcare facilities for institutional owners.
• Bridge Structural Engineering Structural design services for vehicular bridges, pedestrian bridges, cart bridges, and road bridges including environmental, flood loading, and seismic design considerations for transportation authorities and developers.
• Cryogenic Structural Engineering Specialized structural engineering for medical cryogenic oxygen and nitrogen distribution systems at hospitals and medical facilities, including specialized seismic bracing for cryogenic pipes and equipment.
• Utility Infrastructure Structural Engineering Structural engineering for utility infrastructure including pump stations, water treatment plants, distribution facilities, and related civil structures for utility owners and authorities.
• Structural Design of New Buildings Design and modifications of building structures ensuring compliance with all applicable building codes, regulations, and safety standards for commercial, mission critical, industrial, residential, and institutional buildings.
• Structural Design of Renovations, Restorations and Expansions Plans for renovations involving layout changes, room or floor additions, alterations to load-bearing structures, and repair of existing structural elements for building owners.
• Structural and Seismic Evaluations Evaluation of existing building conditions to identify weaknesses such as cracks or deformations that may impact structural integrity, including structural assessments and due diligence studies.
• Seismic Retrofit and Strengthening Assessment and design of solutions to strengthen existing buildings to better withstand seismic activity, including evaluation and rehabilitation of culturally protected and deficient structures.
• Anchorage and Bracing Design for Non-Structural Components Design of anchorage and bracing for mechanical, electrical, plumbing equipment and other non-structural components to ensure stability during seismic or lateral forces.
• Non-Building Structure Design Structural design for cooling towers, pipe racks, retaining walls, and other infrastructure not classified as buildings for industrial and infrastructure clients.
• Prime Consulting and Project Delivery Prime consulting service launched in 2026 in which PASE serves as the lead consultant managing complex project delivery for select clients, coordinating teams of industry partners from vision through construction administration.

Quantifiable outcome

• ENR California Best Projects award for Vantage Data Center Campus
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fleet Data CentersmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026PASE serves as prime consultant for Fleet Data Centers' inaugural 230 MW data center campus in Storey County, Nevada. The 256-acre development represents Fleet's first confirmed data center development and PASE leads a team of industry partners in bringing the project from vision to reality.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Arup: Global engineering consultancy with deep structural engineering capabilities across data centers, transportation, and built environment. Larger and broader than PASE but competes on signature hyperscale and seismic projects.
• Burns & McDonnell: Large multi-discipline engineering firm with a growing mission-critical/data center practice. Competes with PASE for hyperscale data center structural scope while offering broader MEP/architectural integration.

Direct peers

• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH): National structural engineering consulting firm of comparable size with deep expertise in building structures, structural forensics, and seismic evaluation. Closely comparable to PASE in service mix, project complexity, and client type (developers, institutional, infrastructure).
• Walter P Moore: Structural and civil engineering firm with strong data center, healthcare, and sports/entertainment practices. Closely comparable to PASE on mission-critical and large commercial/mixed-use work; larger headcount but similar technical positioning.
• Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE): Employee-owned engineering firm specializing in structural investigation, seismic retrofit, and failure analysis. Strong overlap with PASE on seismic retrofit, structural evaluations, and institutional/cultural buildings.
• KPFF Consulting Engineers: Large U.S. structural and civil engineering firm with comparable multi-family, commercial, and seismic practices. Competes with PASE on California multi-family podium and mid-rise projects and has overlapping Pacific Northwest/Mountain West presence.
• Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA): Seattle-based structural and civil engineering firm with deep high-rise and mission-critical credentials. Comparable technical profile to PASE on complex building structures and seismic design.
• DCI Engineers: Structural engineering consultancy with comparable multi-family/mixed-use, commercial, and healthcare focus across the western U.S. Direct competitor for California and Pacific Northwest developer-led projects.
• Structural Focus: California-based structural engineering firm specializing in multi-family, mixed-use, and commercial buildings. Direct peer for Sacramento/Silicon Valley developer work with comparable project sizes.
• Miyamoto International: Global structural and earthquake engineering firm with strong seismic retrofit and disaster-recovery expertise. Directly comparable to PASE on seismic evaluation, retrofit, and culturally-protected building rehabilitation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PeoplesAssociates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peoples-associates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Peoples Associates