What Aspect Structural Engineers does

Aspect Structural Engineers is a privately held structural engineering firm founded in 2016 in Vancouver, British Columbia, with additional offices in Toronto and Bern, Switzerland. The firm specializes in mass timber construction — including cross-laminated timber (CLT), glue-laminated timber (glulam), nail-laminated timber (NLT), and encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC) up to 18+ storeys — alongside hybrid structural systems combining wood, steel, and concrete. ASPECT was the engineer of record for the first EMTC building constructed under the BC Building Code (District56 Tallwood 1, the second tallest mass timber building in Canada) and maintains an in-house embodied carbon calculation tool adapted from the IStructE guide for Canadian values, with signatory status on the SE2050 initiative.

The firm operates as a B2B professional services practice delivering comprehensive structural engineering from early design through construction support, supplemented by embodied carbon/Life Cycle Assessment, BIM and parametric design, and sustainable construction consulting modules. Revenue is generated through project-based professional service fees from architects, developers, contractors, government clients, and institutional owners across residential, commercial, institutional, and public projects in Canada and internationally. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales supported by thought leadership at industry conferences (IMTC, Woodrise, IHF) and strategic partnerships with firms such as Perkins&Will, SHoP Architects, Sidewalk Toronto, and Modus Studio.

The team comprises 60+ engineers, fabrication designers, technicians, and support staff across the three offices, with the workforce increasing by roughly 25% over the past year. The firm is founder-led (CEO Adam Gerber, Founding Principal Bernhard Gafner, COO Gina Sheppard) and remains independent with no external funding or parent company disclosed. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Aspect Structural Engineers

Legal name

Aspect Structural Engineers Canada Ltd.

Website

https://aspectengineers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Aspect Structural Engineers is a privately held structural engineering firm specializing in mass timber (CLT, glulam, NLT, EMTC) and hybrid systems, serving architects, developers, and government clients across Canada and internationally from offices in Vancouver, Toronto, and Bern.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Construction Engineering & Constructability Consulting (BPAHAIAN)

Keywords

• Structural engineering services
• Mass timber engineering
• Cross-laminated timber design
• Embodied carbon consulting
• Hybrid structural systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 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 Professional Services: Full-service structural engineering firm providing design, engineering, and construction support services across residential, commercial, institutional, and public projects. Revenue generated through professional service fees for project-based engagements from concept through construction.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aspect Structural Engineers is a full-service structural engineering consulting firm providing design, engineering, and construction support services across residential, commercial, institutional, and public projects. The firm has deep specialization in mass timber systems (CLT, glulam, NLT) including encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC) up to 18+ storeys, supported by in-house embodied carbon calculation tools and integrated front-end design and back-end production/construction expertise.

Product overview

Aspect Structural Engineers is a structural engineering services firm offering a unified suite of consulting services centered on structural engineering design and consultation. The core offering comprises general structural engineering services supplemented by specialized mass timber engineering capabilities. Additional service modules include embodied carbon calculations and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for evaluating structural carbon footprint, BIM and parametric design services for complex geometry and optimized structures, and sustainable construction consulting. The firm serves residential, commercial, institutional, and mass timber construction markets across their offices in Vancouver, Toronto, and Bern.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Structural Engineering Services Comprehensive structural engineering consulting services for residential, commercial, institutional, and mass timber construction projects, providing engineering solutions from early design through construction support. Target clients include architects, developers, contractors, and project owners in Canada and internationally.
• Mass Timber Engineering Specialized structural engineering for mass timber construction including cross-laminated timber (CLT), glue-laminated timber (glulam), nail-laminated timber (NLT), and encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC) for buildings up to 18+ storeys. Industry-leading expertise including design of the first EMTC building in BC.

Quantifiable outcome

• 33% reduction in embodied carbon demonstrated for mass timber option vs. comparable 12-storey concrete building
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Modus StudiominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026ASPECT (as Aspect Engineers) is part of a team led by Modus Studio awarded a $258,000 grant from the Softwood Lumber Board and USDA Forest Service to develop a laminated wood storm shelter prototype using cross-laminated timber meeting ICC 500 FEMA safe room standards. ASPECT contributes structural engineering expertise for accredited testing of Southern Yellow Pine cross-laminated timber.
• Georgia Forestry FoundationminorOthers · 5 December 2025Georgia Forestry Foundation, in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service and Softwood Lumber Board, awarded $75,000 in funding to mass timber projects. While ASPECT is not a direct partner in this specific grant, the Softwood Lumber Board is a recurring funder of mass timber research in which ASPECT participates (e.g., storm shelter project).
• Perkins&WillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASPECT is part of the team behind the Modular Timber Housing system, led by Perkins&Will, an initiative dedicated to advancing modular and mass timber housing solutions across Canada. The initiative brings together research, case studies, and practical insights for efficient, sustainable housing.
• Sidewalk Labs (Sidewalk Toronto)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASPECT is part of the engineering team for Sidewalk Toronto, a state-of-the-art urban development project. The firm is contributing to mass timber research including a proto-model at 35 storeys to explore the potential of tall timber buildings in cities.
• WoodWorks Canada / Canadian Wood CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerASPECT team members Andrew Hambleton and Andrew Blackie are featured in WoodWorks Canada's 'Build with Wood' campaign, an initiative from the Canadian Wood Council highlighting people and projects advancing wood construction in Canada.
• MTC SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerASPECT partnered with MTC Solutions to co-host 'Strides by the Seawall' during Woodrise 2025, an early morning running event at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
• Mercer Mass TimberminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Modus Studio-led team for the laminated wood storm shelter prototype project, contributing mass timber manufacturing and technical expertise alongside ASPECT's structural engineering.
• Sterling StructuralminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Modus Studio-led team for the laminated wood storm shelter prototype project, contributing structural engineering expertise.
• ICC-ESminorOthersPart of the Modus Studio-led team for the laminated wood storm shelter prototype project, providing certification review services for the ICC 500 FEMA safe room standard compliance.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Arup: Global engineering consultancy with a significant mass timber practice. Comparable on tall timber engineering expertise (e.g., Brock Commons) but offers ASPECT's capabilities as part of a much broader portfolio across many disciplines and geographies.
• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH): US-based engineering firm specializing in structures, building enclosures, and applied science. Overlaps with ASPECT on complex structural work and tall timber consulting, but as part of a broader multi-disciplinary practice.
• DLR Group: Integrated design firm with integrated engineering and a growing mass timber practice. Comparable client base (developers, institutions) and project types, but operating at much larger scale across architecture and multiple engineering disciplines.
• SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill): Major architecture and engineering firm with leading tall mass timber work (e.g., T3 projects). Competes with ASPECT on complex timber engineering but as part of a global full-service design practice rather than a structural specialty.

Direct peers

• Entuitive: Canadian structural engineering firm with offices in Vancouver, Toronto and beyond. Comparable consulting model serving architects and developers on complex building projects including mass timber and embodied carbon work.
• Fast + Epp: Vancouver-based structural engineering firm with a globally recognized mass timber practice, directly comparable in size, geography, and specialty to ASPECT. Frequently cited as one of the leading timber engineering consultancies in North America.
• Glotman Simpson: Western Canada-focused structural engineering consultancy with deep expertise in residential and commercial projects. Comparable firm in scale and geography, though with broader project mix than ASPECT's mass timber specialty.
• StructureCraft: BC-based mass timber engineering, fabrication and construction firm. Highly comparable to ASPECT in client base (architects, developers) and project types (CLT, glulam, NLT, hybrid structures), with an additional in-house fabrication capability.
• Walter | Moore: Houston-based structural engineering firm with a strong mass timber and specialty structures practice. Comparable specialty consulting model serving architects on complex building projects across the US and Canada.
• Equilibrium Consulting: Vancouver structural engineering consultancy with deep mass timber expertise. Comparable to ASPECT in size, BC focus, and specialty in tall timber and low-carbon structural design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aspect-structural-engineers
• Facebookfacebook.com/aspectengineers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Aspect Structural Engineers