Structural & civil engineers in Vancouver
MAF Engineering provides structural, seismic and civil engineering to owners, architects, contractors and homeowners across the City of Vancouver. Our P.Eng.-led practice — licensed in BC and backed by 25+ years of experience — works on everything from downtown mixed-use and institutional buildings to west-side renovations, additions and new homes. We prepare permit-ready drawings, issue Schedule B and C letters of assurance, and provide field review through construction.
Engineering for Vancouver projects
Vancouver is built on a narrow peninsula between Burrard Inlet and the Fraser delta, and its structures reflect that density: concrete and increasingly mass-timber high-rises through the downtown core, Yaletown and Coal Harbour; wood-frame walk-ups and new multiplex infill filling out the neighbourhoods; and character and single-family homes across Kitsilano, Point Grey, Dunbar and Shaughnessy. The city sits in one of Canada's highest seismic-hazard zones — exposed to both the Cascadia subduction zone and shallow crustal faults — so lateral and seismic design govern much of the work here, from soft-storey retrofits of older walk-ups to new tower structures. Soils vary sharply across the city, from the stiffer glacial uplands of the west side to the soft, potentially liquefiable delta and False Creek fill that can call for deep or piled foundations. Snow loads are light in this mild coastal climate, but wind off the water and persistent rain make clear load paths and drainage just as critical — all designed to the current BC Building Code.
In Vancouver we've contributed to projects including Vancouver General Hospital, Mount Saint Joseph Hospital and the BC Cancer Centre on West 10th, the WFG office and Holiday Inn, the Skretting office and production hall, and custom residential homes in Kitsilano and Shaughnessy.
How we help in Vancouver
- Seismic design & retrofit for a high-hazard coast
- Structural engineering for towers, mid-rise & infill
- West-side homes, additions & laneway/multiplex work
- Foundations for soft delta soils & liquefaction
- Permit drawings, Schedule B/C & field review