ABOUT US

4EA Building Science is a full-service design consultancy that specializes in the design, construction, and rehabilitation of building enclosures. Our team is multidisciplinary, and includes building scientists, architects, and engineers from a variety of backgrounds.

We started practicing in the mid 2000s under the name JRS Engineering LLC, and have since expanded to work on projects big and small both across the U.S. and internationally.

Our Goal:

To have a positive impact on the built environment.

Our Approach:

Be Thoughtful  • Find A Solution • Simplify It • Empower Others

Be Thoughtful.

Understanding different perspectives is the best way to build something meaningful. It is often the case that a group of people will look at the same wall and see different things – perhaps one person sees beauty where others see risk or unnecessary cost. Our approach is to find thoughtful outcomes that appreciate the many perspectives of different stakeholders.

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Find A Solution.

The necessity of finding the right solution to a challenge is one of the most captivating aspects of design and construction. The process has an inertia of its own, as well as a sensitivity to time. Problems need timely, thoughtful solutions. We count ourselves lucky for the opportunity to help others navigate a path forward through whatever challenges may arise along the way.

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Simplify It.

Simplicity is elegance. When done well, it can take something complicated and make it more straightforward, more easily understood, and more easily built. Simplicity can seem both hidden and familiar, which often belies its importance and underlying complexity. In our work, put simply, we enclose spaces. 

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Empower Others.

The allure of construction is the compulsion to improve the world around us. We take great pride in our solutions and how they benefit those involved throughout the life of a building, from owners, architects, and engineers, to builders and tradespeople, to its future occupants. We want to help create durable, healthy, and sustainable places for all people in our communities, and doing so is our way to help empower them.

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What’s with the name?

You may be wondering where the name 4EA came from and what it means. When deciding on a new name for our rebranded company, we wanted to try something different. We wanted a name that speaks to what we do.

4EA is a playful adaptation of our namesake Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier, the mathematician, engineer, and scientist who laid foundations for our understanding of heat transfer, harmony, and climate.

The name also celebrates the number 4, which has significance in the fundamentals of enclosure design as there are four primary control layers (Water, Heat, Air, and Water Vapor) and four D’s of moisture management (Deflection, Drainage, Drying, Diffusion). Lastly, the use of E and A are also a word play on the idea that we are an Engineering and Architecture firm.