Building on History
Fulmer Associates LLC is a building envelope consulting firm that provides assessment, design and restoration services for iconic historic, institutional and academic structures throughout the United States and the international built environment.
About Us
Founded by Robert Fulmer, our firm continues to build upon a dedication to seeking quality and integrity in all forms for our historic building projects. For over four decades, our forward-thinking consulting firm has specialized in the exterior assessment, design and preservation of historic, institutional and academic structures. Our firm is driven by the passion to restore and revive the grandeur of some of the most beautiful structures in the world.
By combining our extensive knowledge of traditional historic materials and methods, with contemporary architectural technologies, we can design and specify the restoration of exterior building systems as a means to not only protect and preserve a building’s history but to enhance the performance, service life and structural integrity of historic structures with appropriate performance solutions.
As a unique firm within the contemporary architectural design industry, Fulmer Associates’ insight into the preservation methods required for unusual or niche historic exterior materials and systems, is a direct result of both our actual work experience and extensive education in contemporary construction techniques and materials.
How the consulting process works
Fulmer Associates has reconfigured the traditional model of architectural design and project execution. The pre-design process begins with detailed communication with the building Owner(s) to obtain a clear understanding of the client’s vision and budget. In the case of historic properties, the collection of available building data is followed by an extensive, detailed forensic inspection of the subject building(s). The results of the inspection are then documented in a report that serves as the basis of design for commencement of the design process.
Project Design Services
We offer a unique approach to the design of our projects, combining our extensive historic and contemporary technical expertise and creating a design that is internationally compliant with established building standards. Complex remediation of some restoration projects require a integrated design strategy, to create the synthesis of multiple trade disciplines into a singular intelligent and efficient project design.
Construction Management Services
As designers of a project, Fulmer Associates’ construction management services provides the logical segue into the oversight of the project during construction. This role assures the client that the quality of our design remains consistent throughout the construction process.
Fulmer Associates acts as a specialist venue consultancy and maintains a global database and network of contractors who are experts in their respective fields, ensuring delivery of the specifics of our design.
From the initial contact, Fulmer Associates works in partnership with the building owners to ensure that our architectural designs are fully aligned with their expectations and financial parameters of the project. We believe our team approach by bringing both owner insight and trusted contractors into the design process, results in a finished building that’s as financially successful as it is beautiful and sustainable.
The buildings we work on
From our beginning, Fulmer Associates has been retained to inspect, design and manage construction for the exteriors of historically significant buildings across the United States, Canada, Europe and Central America. The building types we are principally commissioned to restore are structures with institutional, academic, commercial and equine purposes with either a historic or non-historic context. The scope of our services includes all exterior building systems from below-grade to both structural and non-structural wall and fenestration systems and a complete spectrum of roof and storm water management systems.
Our firm is noted for our unique level of knowledge and experience with unusual or niche building envelope systems.
Some of the systems we work on:
Historic masonry: brick, marble, limestone and granite both structural and architectural masonry exterior walls.
Dry-laid and dry-stone “rock” fences, agricultural walls and historic structures.
Slate Roofing and Cladding: both domestic and European; roofing, steeples, exterior wall cladding, walkways, interior finishes etc.
Cathedrals and churches; steeples, bell towers and clock towers. Both gothic and gothic revival structural and architectural embellishment.
Contemporary masonry: Perimeter or common masonry walls, claddings, plazas and common areas. Cast in-situ brick and high-strength concrete, reinforced concrete systems, cast stone and brick, glass/masonry integration etc.
Copper: Batten seam, standing seam and flat seam roofing systems. Storm water management systems, flashing details, architectural and ornamental details etc.
Lead: roofing and flashing (predominantly used in Europe).
Tile Roofing: both clay and concrete roofing, exterior cladding, pedestrian access at grade etc.
Thatch roofing (predominantly found in the UK).
Related services we provide:
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Occasionally our projects require access to significant building heights for conditions inspections and design assessments. Some of our projects can’t be accessed by mechanical lifts such as churches, steeples, bell towers, urban locations with mandatory façade inspection requirements, multi-story high-rise structures etc. Consequently we utilize drones when possible to document conditions at heights. Occasionally drones can’t be used i.e. some high-density urban areas, college campuses, locations with flight restrictions etc. Under those conditions, Robert Fulmer is a certified rope access technician and utilizes rope access equipment to inspect buildings at height.
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As a result of his unique architectural and construction experience, Robert Fulmer regularly provides litigation support services as an expert witness in construction defect related cases.
