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GENERAL OVERVIEW
Christopher Alba' s 30+ years experience in complex building environments and conflict resolution has imparted an exceptionally keen ability to listen, understand disparate viewpoints, and solve complex problems. Over 600 cases involving litigation mediation, arbitration, consensus-based conciliation, negotiation, investigative evaluation, expert testimony, and expert consultation have made him a thoughtful, effective and practical dispute resolution professional. Mr. Alba's expert knowledge in matters concerning the built environment has been recognized numerous times by United States and State District courts and is solicited by attorneys, insurance adjusters, owners, architects, engineers, general contractors and specialty contractors. Retained as often by plaintiffs and claimants as he is by defendants and respondents, Christopher is acutely aware of the variability between the values, views, objectives and emotions, of both parties.
CURRENT PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
Christopher Alba is president of Construction Analytics, Inc., a professional design/build firm engaged in award winning architectural design, building construction, construction management, facility evaluation, peer review, owner’s agency services, expert forensic investigation, consultation, and expert testimony. Design and construction services focus on the consensus-based planning, design and construction of institutional, institutional, commercial and residential architecture. Forensic work includes investigations into building system failures, design and construction standards, construction means and methods, construction industry contract disputes, change order disputes, delay claims, wrongful death, and personal injury claims associated with buildings, building sites, and construction sites.
Christopher Alba is a Registered Architect and holder of a National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) certificate establishing his qualification for licensure in 54 United States and 11 Canadian jurisdictions.
In his capacity as senior architect, Mr. Alba functions as Architect-of-Record and contractor's Qualifying (Responsible) Party with experience in industrial, institutional, commercial and residential design and construction. As part of this work, Christopher is responsible for establishing and maintaining process and professional standards, training programs and checking of all design and forensic work produced internally.
Christopher Alba also functions as Forensic Team Leader for complex building system failure investigations involving interdisciplinary architectural and engineering professionals. Systems typically include architectural, structural, civil, drainage, acoustics, mechanical, electrical and plumbing. In his capacity as an expert forensic investigator Mr. Alba acts as Forensic Examiner on cases involving roofing, architectural systems, construction means and methods, construction contract requirements, estimating and professional standards.
Christopher Alba also acts as Peer Review Team Leader for the interdisciplinary evaluation of building and site design documents provided by other design professionals. When acting as the Architectural Design Peer within a peer review team he focuses on architectural programming, architectural and engineering systems selection, architectural design, interdisciplinary coordination, technical specifications, construction documents and bidding documents.
Christopher Alba is also the author of Quality –Standard Performance Evaluation Class (Q-SPEC™) System, an integrated collection of guide specifications, documents, and information that establishes common expectations between owners and construction contractors in the areas of standards of performance and quality.
REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
The following alphabetically ordered list is a vignette of Mr. Alba's direct experience with various building types, systems and processes: ● Acoustics ● ADA (Accessible Architecture) ● Adobe Construction ● Aeronautical Service Stations ● Alternative Dispute Resolution ● Apartment Buildings ● Arbitrations ● Architectural Design Counseling ● Architectural Finish Systems ● Asbestos Hazard Management ● Baled Straw Construction ● Ballistic Test Facilities ● Chacal Construction ● Cisterns ● Concrete Construction ● Consensus Building ● Construction Management ● Conciliation ● Correctional and Detention Facilities ● Conveying Systems ● Design/Build ● Design Copyright Analysis ● Dormitories ● Environmental Impact Evaluations ● Estimating ● Experimental Facilities ● Expert Consultant ● Expert Investigations ● Expert Testimony ● Facility Evaluations ● Fire Damage ● Firearm Firing Ranges ● Fire Stations ● Food Service Facilities ● General Construction ● Grading & Drainage ● Historic Restoration and Restorations: Office, Museums, Theaters, Residential ● Hotels and Motels ● Industrial Facilities ● Inpatient Hospitals ● Insurance Appraisal and Umpiring ● Intellectual Property ● Interiors ● Judicial Facilities ● Laboratories ● Learning Resource Centers ● LEED Design and Compliance ● Libraries ● Litigation Support ● Masonry Construction ● Master Planning ● Mechanical/Electrical Systems ● Mediations ● Medical Facilities ● Metal Buildings ● Mold Remediation ● Museums ● Multi-Family Residences ● Natatoriums ● Negotiations ● Office Buildings ● Office Parks ● Outpatient Surgery Facilities ● Owner’s Agency ● Parks ● Peer Review ● Primary and Secondary Schools ● Preventive Maintenance Programs ● Project Feasibility ● Project Recovery ● Public Facilities ● Recreational Facilities ● Residential Treatment Facilities ● Sick Building Diagnostics ● Residential Subdivisions ● Restaurants ● Rammed Earth Construction ● Retail Malls ● Retail Stores ● Roofing ● Septic Systems ● Single-Family Residences ● Steel Construction ● Strategic Planning ● Spas ● Storage Facilities ● Stucco ● Theaters ● Timber and Log Construction ● Transportation Terminals ● University Facilities ● Vehicular Bridges ● Vehicle Wash Facilities ● Visitor’s Centers ● Waste Transfer Stations ● Water Intrusion ● Wood Frame Construction ● Worship Facilities ●
LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Certificate No. 23133.
New Mexico Architect Registration No. 1460.
Colorado Architect License No. 4426, 1994-2003.
New Mexico Licensed Contractor, GB-98, License No.363662
ICBO Building Official, State of New Mexico, 1994-1989.
EPA Asbestos Management Planner, AHERA, USC Certificate No. 254
EPA Asbestos Inspector, AHERA, USC Certificate No. 190.
EPA Asbestos Abatement Project Designer/Contractor, Certificate No. HRD90389.
Certified Forensic Consultant, ACFEI.
ATC-21, Qualified for Rapid Visual Screening of Buildings for Potential Seismic Hazards, FEMA.
PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1984-1989. As a technical and management consultant, Christopher Alba provided paradigm changing management analysis and program development services to the State of New Mexico's General Services
Department. Mr. Alba was subsequently appointed State Architect through a competitive nationwide selection process. Personally charged by statute with responsibility for all State property under the control of the General Services Department, including management of all capital projects, land, and State leases he managed budgeting, estimation, planning, design, construction, and warranty phases on State capital projects and exercised authority over design and construction totaling more than $850 million as well as physical plant assets worth more than $25 billion. While State Architect, he was responsible for enforcing local and state building codes as a building official recognized by the International Council of Building Officials (ICBO). He coordinated statewide capital outlay planning for executive branch agencies, served as a voting member of the Executive Capital Outlay Council and represented the General Services Department and the Governor's annual executive capital project package before legislative committees. As capital project fiscal officer, he negotiated and administered architect/engineer and professional services contracts, managed construction contracts, supervised the public bidding of capital projects, provided and supervised in-house architectural design services, and developed the first hazardous materials management program for all State facilities. Mr. Alba's leadership eliminated governmental lethargy, interagency and legislative criticism and brought the agency into compliance with its statutory charge for the first time in its history.
Christopher Alba's other accomplishments while State Architect included: revamping and managing the State's executive agency capital project estimating and request process, supervising the development and implementation of a standardized, detailed capital project estimating system that eliminated funding shortfalls and cost overruns, supervising the development of capital project guide manuals and standards to direct architects, engineers, contractors, state agencies in the execution of all phases of a capital project, managing the development of long range programs and master plans for the continuing preservation and repair of 789 separate State operated facilities, launching the systematic detailed survey of the status of all buildings and building systems, establishing design standards and plan review systems for all work produced by architectural and engineering consultants, negotiating architect/engineer and professional service contracts as the owner, establishing parity between services and fees for the first time, and authoring new standard forms of professional service agreements, construction agreements, and bidding documents used to procure design and construction services.
As the state official responsible for State leased facilities, Mr. Alba, supervised the systematic inspection and evaluation of 300 leased facilities; launched systematic plan review and evaluation of leased facilities; managed leases and negotiations for 30 State owned leased facilities and 265 privately owned and leased facilities; and established systematic procedures for handling State leases on a timely basis.
As part of his program to greatly improve agency credibility and professionalism, Mr. Alba instituted systematic planning for the beautification of grounds and land under the control of the General services Department; provided professional review of design planning for the first time; created the agency's first design bureau which successfully designed and monitored all state re-roofing projects, eliminating call-backs, and organized and developed first statewide asbestos abatement and management program.
1982-1984. Christopher Alba was sole proprietor and Architect-of-Record for CCVAlba Associates, AIA, a small architectural firm specializing in light commercial, institutional and residential design and third party architectural firm technical and management consulting. Architectural projects included adaptive use renovations, aeronautics control facilities, institutional offices, master planning, medical and dental offices, and re-roofing. Management consulting was provided to expanding architectural firms and large government agencies. Management services included process design and training, crisis resolution, strategic planning and organizational planning.
1978-1982. Christopher Alba was an Intern Architect and then Architect/Partner in Kilmer-Alba Architects, AIA, a full service architectural firm specializing in institutional and commercial design. Building types included detention facilities, fire stations, government buildings, office buildings, primary and secondary schools, and multifamily housing, and university facilities.
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