ABOUT US

From single family homes, to multi-million dollar developments, our team of engineering professionals has supported hundreds of commercial and residential projects.

OUR history

Optimize Envelope Enigneering (OEE) was founded by Dana Bjornson P. Eng, M. Arch in 2010 following her tenure at Williams Engineering and Halcrow Engineering as a building science specialist. Her team of building professionals has continued to grow through a series of banner projects in Western Canada; including Calgary’s West LRT transit project, Canalta’s sprawling rural hotel expansions and high-profile rehabilitation projects such as the TD Square Devonian Garden reconciliation and renovation.

OEE brings to all of its clients a wealth of industry experience in commercial construction and residential projects. We excel in providing essential insight and approvals in the new building process and forensic-level insight into past building deficiencies. With hundreds of first-hand case studies to draw from in building function and dysfunction we are confident in our capacity to deliver an optimized building realization to meet all the needs of clients and constructors.

Operating primarily in the greater Calgary area including Rockyview MD, Foothlls MD and beyond, OEE works closely with public municipalities and private construction professionals to continuously satisfy and advance best practices in building envelope design and implementation. For expertise on your cladding, waterproofing, roofing and any other envelope items contact OEE for dedicated quality and delivery on your project of any scale.

OUR MISSION

To create better building envelopes through engineering, education, teamwork and risk management.

OUR VISION

Awareness

  • Make building envelope professionals a trusted, understood, valued, appreciated and standard part of every building project team.
  • Make building envelope engineers the first professionals called for diagnosis and assessments of building envelope issues.

Responsibility

  • Take responsibility for your decisions and pride in your work.
  • Everyone on the team has some responsibility for the final product.

Standards

  •  Help create standards for quality control and assessment of building envelopes that can be used by all parties involved in the building sector, including owners, contractors, subcontractors, designers, consultants, city officials and building managers.

OUR TEAM

DANA BJORNSON

PRESIDENT, P.ENG.

Dana Bjornson has over 15 years of combined experience in building envelope engineering, civil engineering and architecture. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Civil Engineering and went on to the University of Oregon to complete a Masters in Architecture.

Currently the president and senior building envelope engineer at Optimize Envelope Engineering Ltd., she has a wide range of B.E. experience including site inspection, design review, failure, investigation and project management. Dana has been involved in a variety of projects from single family homes to multi-million-dollar high rise complexes.

PAUL ZARAND

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Paul graduated from the University of Toronto in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts (Economics).  He spent over 22 years in the banking industry, primarily with the Bank of Nova Scotia and Citizens Bank of Canada.  Paul’s tenure at these companies have garnered him experience in retail, investment and corporate banking.  His knowledge of the unique challenges faced by small businesses is what attracted him to Optimize. Outside of work, Paul enjoys fishing and gardening.

BRAD CRONIN

 EIT, PROJECT MANAGER

Brad graduated from the University of Alberta in 2010 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He joined the OEE team in 2017, and has a work experience background in manufacturing and design. Brad strives for efficiency and sustainability in his work, and looks to apply those qualities to building practices, as well as day to day operations and processes. He enjoys the mix of field and office time, as well as the variability this position offers. In the summer, Brad enjoys golfing, hiking, and camping. In the winter, he prefers to stay indoors.

DAYANA BARBERI

P.ENG., PROJECT MANAGER

Dayana joined the OEE team in January 2019. She graduated in Venezuela with a degree in Civil Engineering and completed a Specialization in Project Management. Her work experience background is in structural engineering and project management of small scale residential and commercial projects. Interested in the best way to protect the structure of the buildings she has decided to jump into the building envelope industry and to use her great attention to details to lengthen the lifespans of the buildings. She enjoys being part of a team that strive for spreading the word about building science principles so builders, consultants and homeowners are cognizant of the performance of different building materials in different weather conditions.

STEVE WOLFE

PROJECT MANAGER

Steve joined the OEE team at the start of 2014 until 2017 and has returned to OEE in 2019. His lifelong passions for art and adventure have been an asset when contributing 3D renderings and onsite reviews to the OEE family. Steve’s background is primarily in Physics and Mathematics, with a BSC from the University of Calgary. His attraction to Optimize was a commitment to providing value to customers and being conscientious of our impact on the environment. His interests for the future lie in supporting sustainable construction practices through OEE and with Canadian companies around the country.

DENIS GURIEV

EIT, PROJECT MANAGER

Denis graduated with a degree in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia in 2015. His work experience background is in construction engineering and project management of heavy civil infrastructure projects. He believes that with the increasing focus on longevity, energy efficiency and sustainability of buildings and infrastructure, envelope engineering has an important role to play today and in the years to come. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, travelling, and playing tennis.

STEPHANIE KOEPKE

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Stephanie joined OEE as the Office Manager in May 2015, she has a BFA from Alberta College of Art and Design. She has extensive experience in different office settings ranging from United Way as a Campaign Rep, Office Manager for a Heavy Construction Company as well as Office Manager for a Landscaping company to name a couple. Stephanie is also a coach, holding a Level 2 coaching certificate from Equine Canada she has been competing internationally in Dressage since she was a child and has been teaching Dressage for the past 17 years.

ALYSSA ALINGIG

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Alyssa graduated from SAIT’s Architectural Technologies program in 2019 and shortly joined the OEE team in November. She has strong interests in design and sustainable building. Her skills are in drafting, code reading, and documentation with years of experience in customer service. Alyssa is open and looks forward to advancing her career in any way in the construction/architecture industry. She enjoys being with the team in OEE and is optimistic of her future here. In her free time, she likes heading to the mountains with friends and family but also enjoys being a homebody with good company and entertainment.

NUR ALI

INTERN

Nur is a fourth-year civil engineering student at the University of Calgary who joined the OEE team in 2019. Although envelope engineering is a new field for her, she enjoys learning how it ties into the different branches of engineering. She likes that the job offers a good balance between site and office work, and that it involves a wide variety of construction projects. After graduating, she hopes to work in the construction industry and eventually return to school to pursue a master’s in architecture. In her free time, Nur enjoys weightlifting, painting and reading.