Whole Building Systems
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersCharleston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Whole Building Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Whole Building Systems
- Legal name
- Whole Building Systems, LLC
- Website
- https://wholebuildingsystems.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Whole Building Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Building Performance Consulting
- NAICS
- Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Testing, Adjusting & Balancing (TAB) & Performance Verification (BPABACAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)
Keywords
Where Whole Building Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charleston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Whole Building Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Consulting Services: WBS generates revenue through professional consulting services including commissioning, indoor environmental quality testing, design engineering, energy management and audits, forensic consulting, sustainable design consulting, and high-performance building certifications for commercial, government, and educational buildings.
- Sustainable Design Consulting: Services include owner's design standards development, energy modeling, design/peer review, lifecycle costing, utility incentive management
- Certification Consulting: LEED, Green Globes, WELL, Living Building Challenge, Energy Star, Fitwel certification consulting services
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based consulting services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Whole Building Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Whole Building Systems provides high-performance building engineering consulting services for commercial, government, and educational buildings, including historic structures. The firm delivers commissioning (Cx), MEP/fire protection design engineering, indoor environmental quality testing and consulting, sustainable design consulting, energy management and audits (ASHRAE Levels I-III), high-performance building certification consulting (LEED, Green Globes, WELL, Fitwel, Living Building Challenge, Energy Star, ASHRAE bEQ), and forensic consulting services to building owners, architects, engineers, contractors, and facility managers.
Product overview
Whole Building Systems offers a comprehensive suite of building performance consulting services organized around seven core offerings. The primary service lines include Commissioning (Cx) for ensuring building systems function as designed, Design Engineering for MEP design, Indoor Environmental Quality services including the WELLCRx package, Energy Management & Audits with ASHRAE-compliant levels, Sustainable Design Consulting with energy modeling and lifecycle analysis, High-Performance Building Certifications for LEED, Green Globes, WELL, and other standards, and Forensic Consulting for issue resolution. These services work together to help owners, architects, contractors and facility managers optimize building performance from design through occupancy and ongoing operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commissioning (Cx)
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduction in change orders during construction
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Whole Building Systems
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Whole Building Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Whole Building Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- USGBC South CarolinacoreActive collaboration with USGBC South Carolina. Susan Collins presented on LEED processes for Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina project. WBS provides LEED Administration, Energy Modeling, Incentive Management, and Commissioning services for USGBC-certified projects.
- National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS)coreDennis Knight serves on NIBS committees and wrote the Owner's Guide for BIM. He is liaison to NIBS and Building Smart Alliance as Chair of ASHRAE BIM Multi-Disciplinary Task Group.
- ASHRAEcoreDennis Knight is 2024-2025 ASHRAE President. He founded the ASHRAE Building Performance Analysis Conference and chairs the ASHRAE College of Fellows. He is ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer and Director at Large on the Board of Directors.
- Harvard UniversitycoreJoel McKellar previously served as Associate Director of Green Building Services at Harvard, responsible for strategic planning and technical reviews for Harvard's 27-million-square-foot campus. Co-authored Strategic Sustainability Plan at Harvard Kennedy School.
- LS3P ASSOCIATES LTD.minorJoel McKellar was previously Research Strategist for this architectural firm in Charleston, SC prior to joining WBS.
- Working WellminorWBS participates in Working Well initiative and earned Platinum recognition. Joel McKellar discussed health and built environment topics with Working Well initiative.
- International Living Future InstituteminorJoel McKellar earned Living Future Accreditation through the Institute which oversees Living Building Challenge certification program.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Whole Building Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Elementa Consulting: Building engineering and commissioning firm offering MEP commissioning, energy services, and sustainable building consulting. Direct competitor on commissioning and LEED/green building certification mandates.
- kW Engineering: Specialist commissioning, energy auditing, and retro-commissioning firm for commercial and institutional buildings. Closely comparable in scale and service mix, particularly for ASHRAE Level I-III audits and existing building commissioning.
- Atelier Ten: Building performance and sustainability consultancy providing commissioning, energy modeling, and certification support (LEED, WELL, Living Building Challenge). Direct competitor in the high-performance certifications and sustainable design space.
- ME Engineers: National MEP engineering and commissioning firm providing design engineering, building commissioning, and high-performance building services for commercial, education, and cultural projects. WBS competes directly for the same commissioning and MEP design mandates in the Southeast.
- Newcomb & Boyd: Engineering firm specializing in MEP systems design, commissioning, and energy services for commercial, government, and institutional facilities. Comparable service mix to WBS including commissioning and high-performance certifications.
- Affiliated Engineers, Inc. Multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy with deep expertise in commissioning, MEP design, and laboratory/high-performance building work. Direct competitor for healthcare, higher education, and government projects that WBS targets.
Broad incumbents
- Jaros, Baum & Bolles: Long-established MEP engineering and commissioning firm with deep government, healthcare, and institutional relationships. Larger incumbent that competes with WBS on federal and healthcare projects regionally.
- Page (Page Southerland Page): Multi-disciplinary architecture and engineering firm with sustainability and MEP capabilities. While broader in scope, Page competes with WBS for sustainable design consulting and LEED-related services on institutional projects in the Southeast.
- Buro Happold: Global engineering consultancy with a high-performance buildings and sustainability practice. While far larger and broader in scope, Buro Happold competes for the same high-profile institutional, cultural, and government projects WBS targets in the Southeast.
Emerging players
- Smith Seckman Reid (SSR): Engineering firm with growing commissioning, energy, and facility performance practices serving healthcare, education, and government clients. Comparable in the commissioning and high-performance building niche with broader geographic reach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Whole Building Systems compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Whole Building Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Whole Building Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Whole Building Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Whole Building Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Whole Building Systems
What does Whole Building Systems do?
Whole Building Systems provides high-performance building engineering consulting services for commercial, government, and educational buildings, including historic structures. The firm delivers commissioning (Cx), MEP/fire protection design engineering, indoor environmental quality testing and consulting, sustainable design consulting, energy management and audits (ASHRAE Levels I-III), high-performance building certification consulting (LEED, Green Globes, WELL, Fitwel, Living Building Challenge, Energy Star, ASHRAE bEQ), and forensic consulting services to building owners, architects, engineers, contractors, and facility managers.
Is Whole Building Systems a public or private company?
Whole Building Systems is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Whole Building Systems founded?
Whole Building Systems was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Whole Building Systems based?
Whole Building Systems is headquartered in Charleston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Whole Building Systems make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are sustainable Design Consulting and certification Consulting.
Who are Whole Building Systems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Elementa Consulting, kW Engineering, Atelier Ten, ME Engineers, Newcomb & Boyd and Affiliated Engineers, Inc.. Broad incumbents are Jaros, Baum & Bolles, Page (Page Southerland Page) and Buro Happold. Smith Seckman Reid (SSR) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Whole Building Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Whole Building Systems.
What industry is Whole Building Systems in?
Whole Building Systems's product category is Building Performance Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPABACAJ, Testing, Adjusting & Balancing (TAB) & Performance Verification, with a secondary code of BPAHAIAA, Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting. Its NAICS code is 5413 and its SIC code is 8711.