Mark E. Williams, AIA, NCARB Architecture, Construction & Premises Safety Expert

Professional Experience

Provide technical investigations, analysis, reports, and testimony for failure analysis, and towards the resolution of commercial and personal injury litigation involving slip, trip, and fall injuries, code compliance, accessibility, construction claims and disputes, aspects of property management, construction materials, and architectural professional liability. Areas of expertise include:

Premises Liability: Walkway construction and safety; slip resistance, effectiveness of warnings, efficacy of illumination, delineation of hazards in parking lots, stairs, single-rise steps, ramps, corridors; platforms and level changes; walk-off mats; low energy power- assisted doors and adaptive-reuse of historic buildings.

Building Design and Planning: Building codes and standards; transient lodging; means of egress; exterior stairs; unprotected floor openings, open-sided drop-offs, graspable handrails, guardrails, glass and glazing.

Site Design and Planning: Site planning; PUD submittals for zoning; grading and drainage; control of storm water; traffic calming measures; parking lot design.

Accessibility: Standards for barrier-free design; Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); ANSI A117.1; accessible routes; accessible building components, including ramps, entrances, toilet rooms, protruding objects, walking surfaces, curb ramps, signage, and detectable warnings.

Construction Defect Claims: Construction defects and delay claims, contractual obligations and disputes under various types of project delivery methods; adequacy of construction documents, standards and quality issues.

Construction Materials Failures: Water intrusion related issues; brick, stone, and concrete; gutter and flashing system failures; roofing system failures; parapet wall copings; expansion joint failures; sealant and caulk system failures, window and curtainwall system failures.

Premises Security: Site and facility planning; Defensible Space, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), lighting to deter trespass, CCTV, door hardware, territoriality and surveillance, landscaping, and perimeter fencing.

Conspicuousness of Hazards: Placement, effectiveness, and illumination of warnings; signage; dark adaption; color and contrast of adjacent materials.

Retail Store Safety: Falling merchandise, unstable shelving and product display, improper material stacking and storage, palletized product, display base hazards.

Architectural Practice: Standard of Care, Owner-Architect Agreements, General Conditions, Construction Management, errors and omissions, owner betterment, change order analysis, construction phasing, punch lists, and interpreting contract performance, enforcement of contract provisions, and closeout procedures.

Provide specialized architectural services for the evaluation and analysis of building envelope performance and periodic façade inspections including documentation for critical observation reports, local law requirements, historic tax-credit certification, and pre-purchase assessment. Perform arms-length tactile inspections of high-rise building cladding materials, curtain wall systems, and related appurtenances.

Architectural practice with emphasis on commercial and institutional renovation projects involving adaptive reuse. Specialized inspection services included evaluation and analysis of high-rise building façades from suspended scaffolding.

• Liberty Tower Critical Observation Report, Dayton, Ohio - Exterior survey and critical observation of historic 20-story office building. Scope of work involved façade inspection and documentation of conditions requiring repair of masonry and stone, replacement of control joints, caulking failure, mortar replacement, and water intrusion at window systems.
• LeVeque Tower Critical Observation Report, Columbus, Ohio - Exterior survey and critical observation of historic 44-story office building. Scope of work included emergency repairs to exterior terracotta façade and documentation of masonry repair, control joints, caulking failure, mortar replacement, and water intrusion at window systems.
• Highland Headstart, Community Action Organization of Scioto County, Portsmouth, Ohio - Renovation of 25,000 SF elementary school building constructed in 1956 for the City of Portsmouth school system. Scope of work included complete replacement of HVAC system, electric lighting and power distribution, plumbing fixtures and equipment, exterior aluminum windows, new interior doors and hardware, new interior finishes, new commercial kitchen, new fire alarm system, evaluation of existing stairs, parking lot design and landscaping, ADA compliance and playground equipment.
• Freedom Center Renovation, Ohio Department of Youth Services, Delaware, Ohio - Renovation of existing 12,000 SF pre-release center for juvenile girls located at Scioto Juvenile Correctional Center. Scope of work included complete replacement of HVAC system, electric lighting, and power distribution, plumbing fixtures and equipment, new interior doors and hardware, new interior finishes, ADA compliance and mold remediation.
• Automobile Sales Building, Kelly BMW, Columbus, Ohio – Programming, schematic planning, design development, construction documents, and construction administration for new 5,000 SF pre-owned BMW vehicle showroom and offices. Scope of work included demolition of existing structure, site preparation, concrete foundations, steel frame structure, metal studs, EPDM roof, doors and hardware, aluminum storefront system, EIFS cladding, interior finishes, bathrooms, HVAC system, plumbing fixtures and equipment, electrical lighting and power distribution.
• North Worthington Pet Clinic, Columbus, Ohio - Design and planning for new 5,000 SF veterinarian pet care facility. Scope of work included schematic design of building systems and construction methods, site planning, new topographic survey, zoning application, and evaluation of future growth potential.
• D & J Auto Service, Columbus, Ohio – New 5,000 SF pre-engineered metal building for secure storage of restored antique automobiles, race cars, and rare motorcycles by private collector. Scope of work included concrete foundations, pre-engineered metal building, hydraulic automobile racking system, overhead doors, interior casework and finishes, HVAC system, plumbing fixtures and equipment, electrical lighting and power distribution, and security perimeter fencing.
• Office Building, Scioto County Children’s Services, Portsmouth, Ohio – Site planning, schematic design, and feasibility study for new 10,000 SF service facility and administrative headquarters. Scope of work included programming requirements, code analysis, zoning research, site development, preliminary floor plans, exterior elevations, and building sections.

Resident property manager for three-story, 26,000 square foot historic masonry building with 16 residential units and first floor commercial retail space, including secure underground vehicle garage, and exterior parking area.

Responsible for maintaining the premises in a safe condition, enforcing tenant rules and regulations to ensure resident compliance with lease agreement, and coordination with vendors and contractors performing scheduled maintenance or minor property improvements.

Duties included: periodic inspection and routine maintenance, 24-hour assistance for lockouts, towing of unauthorized vehicles, delivery of late notices from property owner, responding to resident complaints and disturbances, minor repairs of building hardware, replacement of interior and exterior fluorescent lighting, monitoring security doors for proper operation, inspection of vacated apartments, and coordination with county sheriff’s office for evictions proceedings.

Eight-person architectural firm; two registered architects, administrative, marketing, and production staff. Project types included correctional, multi-family residential, healthcare, commercial, and special investigation. Specific areas of professional practice included office QA policy and procedure, code research, construction drawings and specifications, cost estimating, project scheduling, coordination with consulting engineers, and construction administration. Personal focus was construction documents and construction contract administration.

• Franklin County Courthouse, Exterior Analysis and Repairs, Columbus, Ohio - Exterior survey and critical observation report of 28-story high-rise government office building. Scope of work involved façade inspection and photographic documentation to determine conditions of pre-cast concrete panels, aluminum windows, and sealant joints between dissimilar cladding materials.
• Franklin County Courthouse Annex, Exterior Analysis and Repairs, Columbus, Ohio - Exterior survey and critical observation report of historic 5-story office building. Scope of work involved façade inspection and photographic documentation to determine conditions of limestone and marble panels, aluminum windows, and sealant joints between dissimilar cladding materials.
• Garden Manor Nursing Home, Middletown; Tri-County Nursing Home, Hamilton; Oak Creek Terrace Nursing Home, Kettering; Livingston Care Nursing Home, Dayton - Investigation of four Ohio skilled care nursing home facilities to conduct interior survey and code research in response to citation issued by the Office of State Fire Marshal regarding special locking arrangements for Alzheimer’s patients. Scope of work included interviews with Ohio Department of Health supervisors, meetings with local fire department officials, collection of historical fire data, and probability analysis of fatal injury.
• Best Western Hotel & Conference Center, Springdale, Ohio - Exterior survey and analysis of EIFS façade failure due to water intrusion resulting in extensive interior property damage and mold growth. Scope of work included technical research and preparation of critical observation report for use in litigation.
• Lorain/Medina (50 bed) Community Based Correctional Facility, Elyria, Ohio; West Central (90 bed) Community Based Correctional Facility, Marysville, Ohio; Northwest (50 bed) Community Based Correctional Facility, Bowling Green, Ohio; Stark Regional (88 bed) Community Based Correctional Facility, Canton, Ohio; Eastern Ohio (20 bed) Community Based Correctional Facility, Lisbon, Ohio; STAR (120 bed) Community Justice Center, Franklin Furnace, Ohio. Scope of work included full architectural services and coordination with Ohio Department of Corrections and Judicial Corrections Board for each facility.
• Thomas Hall Renovation for Mount Carmel Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; New Care Net Medical Offices for St. Ann’s Hospital, Westerville, Ohio; Health Styles Medical Office for Mount Carmel Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; Golden Lifestyles Medical Office for Mount Carmel Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
• Canterbury Commons (90 unit) multi-family apartments, Middletown, Ohio; Jefferson Crossing (90 unit) multi-family apartments, Kokomo, Indiana; Chase Crossing (90 unit) multi-family apartments, Logansport, Indiana; Pine Crossing (68 unit) multi-family apartments, Decatur, Indiana; Cambridge Commons (40 unit) multi-family apartments, Cambridge, Ohio.
• New porte-cochere and multi-purpose wing with administration offices and library, Haven Heights Baptist Church, Wauseon, Ohio; Master Plan for 10,000 SF family life center and 1,000-seat worship auditorium with connecting breezeways, Heath, Ohio.
• Muncie 202 (3-story) elderly apartment building, Muncie, Indiana; Downtown Housing Building (5-story), Athens, Ohio; Riverby Condominiums (48-unit), Delaware, Ohio.
• New BMW showroom and sales offices for Kelly Motors, New Albany, Ohio; New home office building for Shared Resources, Columbus, Ohio; Hubbard Building renovation and adaptive-reuse, Sandusky, Ohio.
• Hillandale Care (100 bed) skilled care nursing home, Middletown, Ohio; The Meadows (100 bed) skilled care nursing home, Forest Park, Ohio; Meadow Wood (86 bed) skilled care nursing home, Georgetown, Ohio; Livingston Care (90 bed) skilled care nursing home, Dayton, Ohio.
• Pharmacy and Medical Clinic, Ohio Department of Youth Services, Delaware, Ohio – Renovation of existing classroom and office space to new pharmacy and medical clinic for juvenile boys located at Riverview Juvenile Correctional Center.
• Security Fence and Perimeter Lighting, Ohio Department of Youth Services, Delaware, Ohio – New security fence with proprietary First Defense system, perimeter access road and lighting, and CCTV equipment at Riverview Juvenile Correctional Center.

Large Architectural/Engineering firm serving both corporate and government clients on various high profile project types. Supervised multi-disciplined team during production of construction documents and coordinated related activities throughout construction administration phase. Developed and implemented new company spreadsheets to streamline manpower forecasting, labor hour budget tracking, cost estimating and change order analysis.

• 100,000 gallon salt water aquarium and coral reef for the Columbus Zoo.
• $3.2 million 35,000 SF medical office building for Grady Memorial Hospital.
• $4.5 million 45,000 SF assisted living facility for Friendship Village of Dublin.
• Renovation of Scioto Juvenile Correctional Center for Ohio Department of Youth Services.

Medium size architectural firm with offices located in Columbus, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky focusing on lakefront resort condominium design and the healthcare market. Responsible for overall project management including production of construction drawings and specifications, technical product literature, code research, quality control review of office standards, and construction administration phase.

• $15 million, 195,000 SF lakefront resort hotel complex located in Sandusky.
• 45-unit, 5 story luxury condominium building for The Harbour development; 15-unit, 3 story luxury condominium building for The Harbour development; 6-unit luxury condominium building for The Harbour development.
• 50-room lakefront resort hotel for private development at Catawba Island.
• 60-unit retirement housing and assisted living for private development.

Small boutique firm located in historic carriage house renovated by principal owner. Supervised production of construction documents on multi-unit residential developments and various commercial buildings for local private clients. Directed submission of completed plans to state and local code agencies in permitting phase.

• Renovation and new addition for Home of the Innocents, Louisville, Kentucky
• Numerous multi-family apartment buildings for U.S. Farmers Home Administration constructed across the Midwest and Southeast.

Regional Field Real Estate and Building Office (FREBO) responsible for owned and leased facilities throughout Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. Performed architectural services as a contract employee for CDI Corporation based in Philadelphia, PA. Prepared construction documents for repairs, improvements, and modifications to existing WPA era buildings. Responsible to secure field measurements and document as-built conditions for preparation of working drawings, written specifications, and cost estimates. Performed management of construction administration phase.

• Overall redesign and production of base NCL documents, Chicago, Illinois.
• Prepared project investigations and site evaluation reports for construction of new owned facilities (NCO), including functional design floor plans and site utilization drawings.
• Design of new leased facilities (NCL) including preparation of working drawings from standard building plans, compiling written specifications, shop drawing review, and administration of the contract for construction.
• New flashings and roof replacement for main post office, Columbus, Ohio.
• Design of freestanding self-service postal centers and detached post office box units for use in shopping malls. Prepared working drawings for fabrication, specifications, cost estimates, and coordinated work in field for delivery and installation.

Small architectural firm concentrating on healthcare related projects and corporate restaurant clients. Provided architectural drafting and detailing, code research, and technical product specifications related to numerous light commercial projects.

• Renovation of Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant in Times Square, New York.

College work-study program conducted through the Instructional Development Division of the University Learning Resource Center. Assisted with graphic design, layout and production of audio visual instructional materials for classroom presentation, including 35mm color slides, 16mm film, video/audio cassettes and visual transparencies.

• Cataloged and organized over 3,000 TV commercials for faculty thesis.

Large worldwide engineering and architecture firm, preparing details for working drawings in various locations on multi-discipline assignments including architectural, civil, structural, HVAC, instrumentation, mechanical piping, and electrical power and lighting.

• Performed extensive field research, as-built documentation of structures and equipment, and drafting for B.F. Goodrich Plant in Louisville, Kentucky.
• Performed multi-discipline drafting for construction documents on numerous manufacturing plants and factories including Proctor & Gamble.

Professional Credentials

• Registered Architect: Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky (inactive), West Virginia (inactive), Michigan, New York (inactive), New Jersey (inactive), North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, New Hampshire (inactive), Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Virginia, Mississippi
• Certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
• Certified Operator of the English XL Variable Incidence Tribometer (2015-2018)

Education

Bachelor of Architecture (5 year degree), Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 1981

Continuing Education

• “Tort Liability and Risk Management-Bicycle and Pedestrian Design,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2019
• “Accessible Parking,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2019
• “Anatomy of Construction Defects,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2019
• “Ethics for Professional Architects Part I and II,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2019
• “Impacts of the 2010 ADA Guidelines,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2019
• “Leak Detection for Roofs,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2019
• “Psychology of Color,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2018
• “Bollard Boot Camp - How to Protect Places and People from Vehicle Incursions,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2018
• “Selection, Specification and Installation of Safety and Security Barriers and Bollards,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2018
• “Professional Liability: Contract Performance Considerations,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2018
• “Architect and Engineer Design Coordination,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2018
• “Designing for Accessibility under ADA Standards and IBC,” HalfMoon Education, 2017
• “Construction Contract Law,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2015
• “Site Planning and Design,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2015
• “Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design: Surveys and Floor Plan Reviews,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2015
• “Historic Preservation: Roofing for Historic Buildings,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2015
• “Parking Lots: Lighting,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2015
• “Parking Lots: Traffic Impact and Site Access,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2015
• “Historic Preservation: Rehabilitating Interiors,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2014
• “Historic Preservation: Accessibility,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2014
• “Fair Housing: Accessibility,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2014
• “International Building Code & More: Means of Egress,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2014
• “Traffic Calming,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2014
• “Professional Standard of Care: Proof & Defense,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2014
• “Biomechanics: Understanding Barrier-Free Design,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2013
• “Residential Construction for Coastal Areas,” Red Vector Continuing Education, 2013
• “Contractor Lawsuits Against Design Professionals,” RedVector Continuing Education, 2013
• “Facilities Management,” RedVector Continuing Education, 2013
• “Building for Colleges & Universities: Housing,” RedVector Continuing Education, 2013
• “Contract Dispute Management,” Titan Continuing Education, 2013
• “Introduction to Domestic Wastewater Treatment,” Titan Continuing Education, 2012
• “Understanding the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse,” Titan Continuing Education, 2012
• “Reliability & Durability of Building/Site Components,” Titan Continuing Education, 2012
• “Safety Considerations in Coating and Painting,” Titan Continuing Education, 2012
• “AIA Contracts,” Lorman Education Services, 2011
• “Moisture Infiltration,” Titan Continuing Education, 2011
• “Risk Management,” Titan Continuing Education, 2011
• “Chinese Drywall,” Titan Continuing Education, 2011
• “Change Orders,” Titan Continuing Education, 2011
• “ADA Course III: Common Errors and Omissions,” Titan Continuing Education, 2011
• “Professional Ethics in Design and Building,” Clemson University, Rutland Institute, 2011
• “Building Codes in South Carolina,” Lorman Education Services, 2010
• “Fundamentals of Construction Contracts: Understanding the Issues,” Lorman Education Services, 2010
• “Building Envelope Performance,” Lorman Education Services, 2009
• “Construction Law,” Defense Research Institute, 2009
• “Building Codes,” Lorman Education Services, 2009
• “CPM in Construction Management: Preventing and Measuring Delays,” Lorman Education Services, 2009
• “Construction Law Fundamentals,” National Business Institute, 2009
• “The Winds of Change? The ConsensusDOCS,” American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, 2008
• “Nursing Home/ALF Litigation Seminar,” Defense Research Institute, 2008
• “Avoiding Building Code Violations,” National Business Institute, 2008
• “Construction Project Management,” National Business Institute, 2008
• “4TH Annual Top Gun Construction Claims Program,” Bricker & Eckler LLP, 2007
• “Practicing Architecture in Ohio,” HMS Continuing Education, 2007

Training

• CXLT Certification Program, Excel Tribometers, LLC, May 2015
• Safety Training for Suspended Scaffold Fall Protection, Eagle Scaffold Consultants, Inc., 2004

Conferences

Symposium on Performance and Durability of the Window-Wall Interface, American Society for Testing and Materials, 2004

Memberships and Affiliations

• American Institute of Architects (AIA)
  • AIA South Carolina
  • AIA Charleston
• American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
  • Committee E06: Performance of Buildings
  • Subcommittee E06.55: Exterior Building Wall Systems
  • Task Group E06.55.05: Façade Inspection
  • Committee F13: Pedestrian Walkway Safety and Footwear
  • Subcommittee F13.50: Walkway Surfaces
• Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Technical Groups:
  • Environmental Design; Safety; and Visual Performance
• International Code Council (ICC) formerly known as Building Officials and Code Administrators International (BOCA)
• National Safety Council – Robson Forensic corporate membership
• Past Member, American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry
• Past Member, Building Owners & Managers Association International (BOMA)
• Past Member, Construction Specifications Institute (CSI)

Government Testimony

• Ohio Board of Building Standards: Expert testimony at public hearing to appeal citation issued by Office of State Fire Marshal prohibiting special locking devices for Alzheimer’s patients at four skilled care nursing homes in Ohio, 1997.
  • Scope of work included interior survey and code research, interviews with Ohio Department of Health supervisors, meetings with local fire department officials, and collection of historical fire data. Facilities cited: Garden Manor Nursing Home, Middletown; Tri-County Nursing Home, Hamilton; Oak Creek Nursing Home, Kettering; Livingston Care Nursing Home, Dayton.

Publications

• Mark E. Williams, AIA, NCARB, “Architect’s Report on the Jane Smith Injury,” Published in The Law of Slip & Fall in South Carolina, Daniel R. Denton, Esq. (Columbia, SC: South Carolina Bar, Continuing Legal Education, 2014).
• “Building Envelope Performance,” Lorman Education Services, March 2009

Invited Presentations

• “What Experts are Looking for in Premises Liability Cases,” Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association Annual Conference, Chattanooga, TN, October 2018.
• “Two Engineers and an Architect-Use of Reconstructionist on Premises Liability Cases.” Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, Tampa, FL, August 2018.
• “Identifying Construction Defect Claims,” North Carolina Advocates for Justice Annual Convention, Sunset Beach, NC, June 2017.
• “Issue Spotting for Architect Errors & Omissions on Premises Liability Cases,” Treasure Coast Justice Association, Stuart, FL, August 2017.
• “Building Envelope Performance & Construction Claims,” Legal Support Staff of North Carolina, Asheville, NC, September 2011.
• “Understanding and Getting the Most from Your Expert,” Legal Support Staff of North Carolina, Asheville, NC, April 2010.
• “Forensic Investigations,” Charleston ASME Chapter Meeting, Charleston, SC, January 2010.
• “Forensic Investigations for Litigation Professionals,” Legal Staff Professionals of South Carolina, Myrtle Beach, SC, April 2009.
• “Building Envelope Performance,” Lorman Education Services, Akron, OH, March 2009.
• “Construction Claim Situations-How to Avoid Them,” Jack Miller Network, Orlando, FL, January 2008.
• “Using the Architectural Expert in Premises Liability Cases,” Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys, Cleveland, OH, February 2007.
• “Defensible Space: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design,” Rotary Club of Weirton, WV, April 2006.
• “Forensic Architecture,” NCARB Joint Regional Meeting, Milwaukee, WI, October 2005
• “Facade Ordinances & Inspections,” Construction Specifications Institute Chapter Meeting, Columbus, OH, October 2004.

v. 11/10/22