James N. Chiropolos

Experience

James Chiropolos has expertise in the investigation and repair of building wall systems, ranging from historic masonry walls to modern EIFS, stucco, windows, and curtain walls. He has worked on and managed a variety of projects requiring architecture, leakage, and materials investigations. For many of these projects, Mr. Chiropolos has designed repairs and provided hands-on consulting services during their repair.

With his experience in investigating and analyzing the performance of building envelopes, Mr. Chiropolos has performed prepurchase surveys of large building complexes. He has also performed peer reviews of building envelope waterproofing and durability designs for architects and contractors. As a consultant on construction defect claims, Mr. Chiropolos has investigated and documented building problems and participated in depositions, arbitration, and settlement conferences for both plaintiffs and defendants.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS

Facade Assessment

• 888 O’Farrell Street - San Francisco, CA: Investigation, expert testimony, and repair design of water leakage at two fourteen-story towers
• 1550 Lake Shore Drive - Chicago, IL: Investigation and repair design for replacement of corroding steel-framed windows with aluminum-framed windows at a thirty-four-story high-rise building
• Pacific Park Plaza - Emeryville, CA: Investigation and repair design for overcladding on a thirty-story EIFS building with aluminum panels
• South Coast Metro Center - Santa Ana, CA: Repair design for leaking windows and granite panels and construction-related services during repairs

 

Historic Preservation

• 730 Market Street - San Francisco, CA: Investigation, repair design, and restoration of a five-story building in the city's historic district
• Flood Building - San Francisco, CA: Investigation of sandstone deterioration, repair design, and construction administration during repairs of historic twelve-story building built in 1904
• Russ Building - San Francisco, CA: Investigation and repair design of terra cotta masonry in historic thirty-two-story high-rise built in 1927

 

Prepurchase Surveys

• Bank of America Center (now 555 California Street) - San Francisco, CA: Prepurchase survey of a fifty-two-story skyscraper and a sixteen-story terra cotta annex building
• One Bush Street - San Francisco, CA: Prepurchase survey of a twenty-story building that includes San Francisco’s first glass-walled tower
• Trillium Building Complex - Woodland Hills, CA: Prepurchase survey of a six-building office complex that includes two eighteen-story towers

Education

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Architecture, 1983
Master of Architecture, Structures Option, 1985