Building Systems Design
Furano Pacific Consulting designs the electrical and mechanical systems that make buildings work — for owners, developers, municipalities and institutions across British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
We work on new construction and, more often, on existing buildings, where the constraint is rarely the design itself and usually what can be done while the building stays occupied.
What we design, and the codes we work to
Fire alarm systems — new design, upgrades and verification support.
Lighting, lighting controls and emergency lighting, including LED retrofit engineering.
Power distribution, service connections and service upgrades.
EV charging infrastructure, from load assessment through to utility coordination.
Mechanical systems including heating, cooling and ventilation, coordinated with the electrical design rather than handed off across a discipline boundary.
Codes we work to
The Canadian Electrical Code throughout. The BC Building Code in British Columbia, and the Vancouver Building By-law inside the City of Vancouver. The National Building Code as adopted in Alberta and Saskatchewan. CAN/ULC standards for fire alarm design, verification and integrated testing.
How we work
Small firm, senior people. The engineer who scopes the project seals the drawings.
We also act as owner's representative where a client needs technical oversight of someone else's design or installation — reviewing submittals, holding contractors to specification and protecting the owner's position through construction.
What you receive
Sealed drawings and specifications suitable for permit and for tender.
Load calculations and, where the project warrants it, the supporting power system analysis, so the distribution design rests on numbers rather than on precedent.
Coordination with the architectural, structural and mechanical disciplines carried out before issue — most electrical field conflicts are coordination failures rather than design errors.
Tender support, shop drawing review and site review through construction, by the same engineer who did the design.
Deficiency review and close-out documentation, including the records the building will need at its first inspection cycle.
Common questions
Do you work on renovations as well as new construction? Most of our building systems work is retrofit and renovation, frequently in occupied buildings. That work is phased around continuous operation, and the phasing plan is part of the design rather than something left to the contractor.
Can you take a project through permit? Yes. We prepare the drawings and supporting documents for permit and respond to the authority's comments through to issue.
Which code applies to my project? In British Columbia, the BC Building Code, with the Vancouver Building By-law inside the city. In Saskatchewan and Alberta, the National Building Code as adopted provincially. Electrical work follows the Canadian Electrical Code with provincial amendments. The differences are small in number and expensive to discover late.
How small a project will you take? We are a small firm and we take small projects. The engineer who scopes your project is the engineer who seals the drawings, which makes short projects work rather than making them uneconomic.