Familiar from The X Files, this adage could be added to the inspiration that guides SUPERSTRUCTURES’ work. The currency of our practice is information, so we continually seek it in the investigation phase of each project.

By studying existing drawings and reports and conducting strategic probes and non-destructive testing, we learn everything we can about a building’s construction, history, and symptoms of distress before designing restoration solutions. In the process, we add to our collective knowledge of materials, assemblies, and methods—each insight is a step toward the “truth” about a building (and other buildings of a similar type).

Like Agents Mulder and Scully, we also apply leading-edge technology in our search for the truth. The latest example is creating “digital twins” of building envelopes through drone-based photogrammetry and our SurfaceCapture^SM system. They allow us to zoom in on fine details of a facade, creating a permanent record of conditions and allowing us to analyze them in the office and formulate a remedial strategy.

While we draw from our experience of thousands of successful restoration projects, we know that there is still more to be discovered about the nature of building envelopes. There may be no ultimate truth in our practice; rather, it’s an evolving prospect.