Alan Kren

One of R+C's earliest LEED-accredited professionals, Alan leads R+C's sustainable design practice. He co-authored SEAONC's Structural Engineering Strategies Towards Sustainable Design and the ASCE/SEI's Guidelines to Sustainable Design. One of his projects, UC San Diego's Supercomputer Center expansion, exceeds Title 24 by 46 percent. This is a result of intense collaboration with the design team to maximize passive energy savings through the use of features such as thermal mass in the exposed concrete structure and building configuration to maximize natural light.

When not otherwise pursuing the perfect wave or swimming an open-water race, Alan oversees a studio of talented and energetic engineers working on projects that run the gamut from aquaria, state of the art university laboratories, civic theaters, student housing, to repair of waterfront constructions, restoration of historic works, and structural peer review. Alan is fluent in all structural materials, understands their possibilities and limitations, and knows how to craft them to meet project goals. He is sensitive to client needs and demands and understands the pressures architects, designers and owners work under. His philosophy is to always bring enthusiasm and solutions to the client, to listen and find what he can give to realize the vision, to work as a team member, to make the project a positive experience for all involved. And being an engineer, he is practical and prudent in his solutions, cognizant of cost, constructability, and schedule.

Alan’s more notable projects include the restoration and revitalization of San Francisco’s historic Ferry Building, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, repair and restoration of the historic Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle San Simeon State Park, and the Science and Engineering 2 laboratory building at UC Merced. Alan is a lecturer at UC Berkeley where he teaches “Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures.” He takes pride and receives enormous satisfaction teaching at his alma mater and loves the energy and enthusiasm the students bring to class.