General Experience
Mr. Vander Heide has over 40 years of experience as a registered architect in the construction industry. His professional experience includes the design of residential,commercial, and institutional/industrial facilities for public and private owners. He has managed both architects and engineers in several organizations. His career has encompassed design and analysis of structural work for a manufacturer of space-frame systems; management, development, training and computer programming work in a large, multi-disciplined design firm; and management and project work as the owner of a large collection of public buildings in a major city. He has broad experience with codes and standards including the International Building Code, BOCA, the Uniform Building Code and the Southern Building Code
Mr. Vander Heide has also been a principal in his own firm since 1990, providing a broad range of architectural and architectural consulting services to A/E firms and the public. Mr. Vander Heide has testified in cases in Federal Court as well as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and has served on juries in Michigan and Pennsylvania
Expert Testimony
Zane v. R. C. Legnini Company
Workman injured on jobsite, alleged that a sub-contractor is the general contractor and responsible for overall site safety and sought damages from the sub-contractor. Written report for defendant.
Wagner v. Hibernia Homes
Homeowner sues builder to recover damages from rotting OSB sheathing under stucco and adhered stone veneer. Arbitration testimony for plaintiff homeowner.
The Manors at South Mountain v. Pulte
Home Owners Association seeks damages from builder/developer. Written report for sub-subcontractor defendant, identified problems ignored by two other engineering experts.
Lobar v. WASD & McKissick
Contractor claimed damages from owner and architect during construction of Wellsboro High School, Wellsboro, PA. Consulted for the school district, identified defects and inspected repairs.
DKM & Cherry Valley Construction Company vs. STO Corp. Post construction, the developer was forced to remove STO EIFS from over 100 homes due to moisture problems. Provided an opinion as to the suitability of the product to a particular purpose. Written report and deposition testimony. The case settled favorably.
Catasaqua Area School District vs. Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, Inc.
Post construction, the school district and contractor were seeking recovery for delays and excessive costs from the architect. Participated in a written report regarding specific performance and standard of care of the architect on behalf of the plaintiff for arbitration.
New Jersey School Construction Corporation
The architect for two new school buildings in Jersey City claims additional fees. Consulted for NJSCC to evaluate validity of the architect’s claims.
New Jersey Turnpike Authority
Analyzed delay and material escalation claims due to design errors in structural steel in new Driscoll Bridge over Raritan River for New Jersey Parkway.
McGuire v. Moser Builders, et al
Homeowner had home inspection claiming stucco should be replaced. Written report for defendant builder. Non-jury trial resulted in no damages awarded.
CCC Atlantic, LLC vs. Intech Construction, Inc.
Post construction, the owner of an office/commercial renovation project near Atlantic City, New Jersey experienced storefront window leaks. Provided an opinion on the adequacy of the construction. Written report for the plaintiff.
Estate of Mykola Bojczuk vs. Centimark.
A dispute about the quality of a re-roofing job. Provided an opinion as to the quality and workmanship of the re-roofing. Written report for the plaintiff. The case was settled favorably.
Paladino v. KeySpan New England, LLC
A teenager was injured while trespassing on an abandoned pier on the Delaware River. Provided an opinion relative to the requirements of the Philadelphia Property Maintenance Code for the owner. Written report for the defendant.
Kanter vs. Parec, et al
Post occupancy, the owner was plagued with water and mold problems in this new house. Provided an opinion as to the adequacy of the design and installation of the window installation for the window installer. Written report for mediation for a defendant. The case settled favorably.
Seagate Longmont Consolidation Facility.
A new office, lab and manufacturing facility’s performance suffered from over value engineering without appreciation of all the consequences. Provided an opinion on the adequacy of original design and contractor mediations for the architect. Written report for defendant.
Linda Hoye v. Aspen Section Condominium Council
A Condominium resident was injured on the premises. Provided an opinion regarding fire and property management code compliance for the condominium council. Written report for defendant owner.
Betty Payne vs. Temple University Hospital.
Post occupancy, an accident caused an injury. Provided an opinion on the design of vehicle and pedestrian traffic relative to the use of the facility by the owner. Written report for plaintiff.
Tiger Hayes v. L. Robert Kimball, Assoc. Architects and Engineers, Inc.
A dispute about responsibilities for budget estimating in a design build, LEED office building. Consulted for the defendant architect prior to settlement.
Bellamy v. Westover Companies and Christiana Properties, LLC.
Post construction personal injury. Provided an opinion regarding defects in the premises for the plaintiff. Written report.
Stout Road Assoc. v. Alesker & Dundon Architects
Post construction professional liability case involving encroachment on public right of way. Provided an opinion regarding the professional standard of care for the owner and a certificate of Merit and written report for the plaintiff.
Kline v. j2a, et al
During construction a worker was injured, he sued architect, contractors and owner. Provided an opinion regarding professional conduct and practice for the architect. Written report for the architect defendant.
Brister v. 1845 Walnut Street Assoc., et al
Post construction personal injury due to falling toilet partition door. Provided an opinion regarding maintenance of facility. Written report for plaintiff.
Silverman v. Benjamin Shaoul, et al
Condominium purchaser could not occupy unit due to damage from water intrusion in unit, caused dispute over cause of water intrusion. Developed opinion for curtain wall subcontractor defendant.
Bridda v. Jennifer Weitsmann and Palcko Homes, Inc.
Homeowner claimed damages for defective roof in new construction. Written report and testified at Arbitration hearing for the plaintiff.
Munoz v. City of Union City
Building owner claimed damages from City due to demolition of building damaged by fire. Written report for defendant.
Miller v. builder of tract house
Owner victim of sheathing rotting behind stucco on frame home. Opinion letter for plaintiff prior to suit.
Conestoga Bank v. Bock.
Bank attempted to collect receivables due failed subcontractor. Examined ceramic tile installation at Penn Ridge High School for plaintiff.
Paramount Homes v. Tishman et al
Condominium developer sought damages for defective construction from Construction Manager and others. Consulted for concrete subcontractor defendant.
K. Hovnanian v. United Group Construction Services.
Developer sought damages for system failure of stucco over wood frame homes. Consulted for stucco subcontractor defendant. Presented preliminary conclusions at mediation meeting.
Monongahela Valley Hospital v. Design Builder.
Owner found deteriorating shower stall walls eight years after construction of Fitness Center. Tile and gypsum board issues. Prepared preliminary report, designed, documented, and oversaw installation of replacement showers for potential plaintiff owner.
David J. Chang v. OC Builders, LLC, et al.
Owner unhappy about stucco installed as rain screen over drainage plane and soy based open cell foam insulation. Consulted with defendant contractor.
Dempsey Weiss Assoc. v. D’Arrigo R.A. & Fabbri Builders
Owner unhappy with defective design and construction of office addition. Prepared report for owner plaintiff. Participated in mediation session.
Kenrich Athletic Club v. 19th and Sansom Assoc.
Tenant unhappy with owner. Sought alleged damages regarding unsafe night club operation. Written report for defendant owner.
Horowitz v. Lennar, et al.
Homeowner servicing air-conditioning filter in attic passed out and fell between roof trusses through first floor ceiling sustaining injuries. Written report for defendant builder.
Perasso v. Caesar’s Cove Haven.
Hotel guest sought damages for fall in hotel suite because of darkness. Written report for defendant owner. Testimony in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Vamsidhar Vurimindi v. Chao Li, et al.
Developer unhappy with defective and unfinished construction sought damages from general contractor and bank which abetted fraudulent repair work. Written report for plaintiff owner and testified in Court Ordered Arbitration in Philadelphia City Hall.
Crozier v. Suds Beer et al.
Underage student purchased beer illegally, went to a New Year’s Eve party at University of Pennsylvania campus; drank too much and fell over a stair rail to his death. Written report on defective stairway handrail for plaintiff. Case settled in favor of plaintiff.
The Palisades at Fort Lee Condominium Association, Inc. v. Palisades AV Company, LLC
Developer sold apartment building that was converted to condominiums and sold to new owners. After several years, new owners sued for building defects. Opinion about whether or not an owner’s in-house architect was part of the design team for the developer defendant.
NJ Turnpike Authority – Driscoll Bridge Delay Claim, Woodbridge Township, NJ
MDC was asked to review the Driscoll Bridge Project records and prepare a report concerning design errors and omissions with regard to the design of the structural steel for the project. MDC undertook a detailed review of the project records for the design of the project and the relevant change orders. As part of this effort, MDC was required to review the as-planned and as-built schedules, meeting minutes, design drawings and steel order and delivery records. Cost escalation for the stainless steel reinforcing was a key timing issue due to the timing and placement of the bulk steel order and the subsequent delay in ordering the additional steel. MDC provided a detailed analysis and briefing to the NJTP Authority.
Philadelphia City Hall Master Plan and demonstrations projects for cleaning and restoring the building envelope.
Philadelphia City Hall is an approximate 1 million square foot Historic Landmark building, occupying a site the size of four city blocks. For the 1994 Master Plan for the Philadelphia City Hall, Mr. Vander Heide was the designated representative from the Department of Public Property, and Chairman of the City Hall Stakeholders Committee. The Stakeholders Committee was comprised of representatives from the three branches of City Government, City Council, Mayor’s Office, and Common Pleas Court, that occupy space in the building. Also represented was outside design talent, Managing Director’s Office, City Planning Commission, the Visitor’s Center, and the Historical Commission. Mr. Vander Heide was instrumental in getting the blessing of the Stakeholders Committee for the Master Plan.
As the Master Plan was being developed, a number of demonstration projects of limited scope were undertaken to show the beneficial effects of the restoration. Mr. Vander Heide, as City Hall Architect, was directly responsible for the execution of the demonstration projects, which included: interior granite stairway lighting and restoration; sprinkler installations on the seventh (top) floor; pumps and sprinklers for the tower structure; 10 inch chilled water piping and asbestos removal under Juniper Street to City Hall subbasement to take advantage of the chillers which had been built on the top of the Justice Center across the street; copper gutter replacement at the 6th floor; cast iron cresting restoration on the West portal; and a cleaning method project where several methods for cleaning the 100-year old marble and granite of the exterior walls were tested next to each other, and the marble surface micro-graphed afterward to determine the best and safest method for restoring this material.
Professional Experience
Significant past projects include the following:
- Philadelphia City Hall Master Plan and demonstrations projects for cleaning and restoring the building envelope, as the owner
- The Shores at Wesley Manor, Ocean City, NJ, for Donnelly Wagner Nelson Architects, LLC
- Collingswood Manor, Collingswood, NJ, for Donnelly Wagner Nelson Architects
- Manhattan View, Union City, NJ, for The Brommer Group
- Perkiomen Valley Elementary School, Schwenksville, PA
- Brandywine Elementary School, Brandywine, PA
- St. Elizabeth Church and School, Sellersville, PA
- St. Alfonses Church and School, Maple Glen, PA
- Penn Ridge High School, Penn Ridge, PA
- Cedar Grove Christian Academy, Philadelphia, PA, for Philip E. Franks & Assoc.
- Quakertown High School, Quakertown, PA
- St. Basil’s Church, Westmont, PA
- Christmas Displays for Strawbridge & Clothier, Philadelphia, PA
- Prince Music Theatre, Phila., PA for Cooke/Chachkes Associates, Ambler, PA
- Retail space for Strawbridge & Clothier
- Design and manufacture of Mero space-frame roof structure for shelter for remains of Gunboat Cairo recovered from the Mississippi River, Vicksburg, MS
- Design and construction of Mero space-frame roof structure for Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, Grand Rapids, MI which underwent pre-occupancy full scale load testing
- Construction of Mero space-frame skylight support and roof structure, Montreal, Canada for Hotel du l’aeroport, Mirabel Airport
- Architectural design and documentation of seven buildings for a 10 MGD Waste Water Treatment Plant in Niles, MI, for MacNamee, Porter & Seelye, Consulting Engineers
Project Visualization Experience
Visualization work including computer models and rendering for the following projects:
- The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ, for Kitchen Associates
- Washington Savings Bank Headquarters, Philadelphia, PA, for Stein Architects
- Applied Card Systems Headquarters Office Building, Southeastern PA, for Stein Architects
- Gurwin Jewish Geriatric Center, a 460-bed Residential Healthcare Facility, located on a 15 acre suburban campus on Long Island, Lake Success, NY, for Landow & Landow
- An office and distribution center for Dollar Stores, Philadelphia, PA, for The Office of Charles King Architects and Store Planners
- Security options for the Pennsylvania Capitol building, Harrisburg, PA, for Vitetta, Philadelphia, PA
- William Penn Charter School new recreation building, Philadelphia, PA, for Hayes & Hough Architects
- The Union League Archives plus project, and adaptive re-use in a historic building, Philadelphia, PA for William Post Thomas, AIA
- Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts a new stairway in an historic Furness building, Philadelphia, PA for Dagit – Saylor Architects
- A high end residence (Ralph & Suzanne Roberts’ apartment), Philadelphia, PA for Malcolm Eisenberg, Philadelphia, PA & Don Reiff, Elkins Park, PA
- Linderman Library renovation at Lehigh University, Lehigh, PA, for MGA Partners
- A fund raising video animation for the National Constitution Center, Philadelphia,PA with design assistance from Ueland Junker MacCauley Nicholson and GBQC,Inc.
- International Cultural Center at Lincoln University for Saylor/Gregg Architects
CAD/Computer Training
- DWKCB Architects, Inc., Hatfield, PA and Philadelphia, PA
- Kitchen Associates, Collingswood, NJ
- Cooke/Chachkes Associates, PC, Ambler, PA
- Alvin Holm, AIA, Architects, Philadelphia, NJ
- Curtis Cox Kennerly, PC, Philadelphia, PA
Professional Seminars and Training
- WUFI Seminar, Oak Ridge National Laboratory & Fraunhofer Institute of Building Physics, Waltham, MA
- Seek Expert Witness Conference, Hyannis, MA
- Advanced WUFI Seminar, Oak Ridge National Laboratory & Fraunhofer Institute of Building Physics, Napa, CA
- Advanced WUFI Seminar, Fraunhofer Institute of Building Physics & Oak Ridge National Laboratory, at Fraunhofer Institute Building Physics, Holzkirchen, Germany
- Speaker for “Sticks and Bricks” program for American Bar Association Construction Forum in Washington, DC
- Primavera Project Planning and Scheduling, Bala Cynwyd, PA
- Advanced WUFI Seminar, Oak Ridge National Laboratory & Fraunhofer Institute of Building Physics, Napa, CA
- Speaker for Design on the Delaware, Philadelphia, PA 2008
- Roofing Consultants Institute Symposium, Washington, DC
- Roofing Consultants Institute Convention, Orlando, FL
- Roofing Consultants Institute Convention, Reno, NV
- Roofing Consultants Institute Symposium, Charlotte, NC
- Certified WUFI Trainer, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, San Antonio, TX
Education
- University of Michigan, Master of Business Administration, 1977
- University of Michigan, Bachelor of Architecture, 1971
Registrations
- Registered Architect: Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey
- LEED Accredited Professional, United States Green Building Council
Professional Affiliations
- Voting member of ASTM International Subcommittee E 06.55 Performance of the Building Envelope
- American Institute of Architects Philadelphia – former Board of Directors & Treasurer, Finance Committee Chairman, AIA/GBCA Joint Committee Member
- AIA Pennsylvania – former Board of Directors
- Professional Services Management Association Philadelphia Chapter- Founder, Board of Directors, former President
- Professional Services Management Association (national) – former Vice President Professional Development, President Elect, President, Past President and former Board Member
