Construction Business Review

Sky-Side Corp.
A Company Innovating in the Building Envelope Industry

HerNan Alvarez, President, Sky-Side Corp.HerNan Alvarez, President
In our task to find the best construction companies in Canada, we got references of a company in BC that is making a difference in the building enclosure business. This company has a unique business model and innovative ambition that make a huge difference in the industry. They can fix issues that not long ago did not have a proper solution.

Let me give three examples of the innovations of this company:

1. Not long ago, engineers willing to inspect high-rise tower had to rely on helpers who used rope access to do drops around the façade of buildings to take pictures of the issues they could find. Now, the engineers can sit on the comfort of a chair at road or roof level and see every single detail of the building enclosure and determine what is good and bad, take pictures or videos from many different angles. This company developed an equipment named Building Envelope Assessment System (BEAS), designed with a remote controlled camera for the inspection and assessment of high-rise building enclosures. It can work under 7km/h winds and reach 40-storey high buildings. The company is now working on a system for higher towers.

2. When a technician does repairs in an inaccessible area of a building enclosure, there previously was no way for the engineer to inspect the work or direct the repair process. Now, this company has innovated a wireless, live-video supervision system for engineers to observe, supervise, and direct the work being done at inaccessible locations.

3. Many suites in high-rise buildings have the issue of condensation build-up inside dryer issue of condensation build-up inside dryer vent ducts, leaking in bedrooms, and living room ceilings. This problem had no proper solution until this company innovated a remote, crack-repair system. These ducts are less than 3” in height and as long as 40 feet. It is quite impressive how the system fixes metal and concrete cracks from inside the ducts.

You must be wondering about this company. Let me introduce Sky-Side Corp., a Vancouver-based company specializing in engineering and restoration of building envelopes and coating. We had the chance to interview its owner and innovator, Elias HerNan Alvarez, a Canadian/ Peruvian architect with MBA and PMP credentials.

“We are challenging the age-old norms of the envelope restoration process to be more efficient, deliver quick and optimized results, and pave the way for utmost client satisfaction,” says HerNan, president of Sky-Side Corp.

This passion, combined with the aspiration to stand out in the marketplace, has led the firm to constantly develop innovative technologies to enhance service excellence at every turn. Other examples of Sky-Side’s appetite for innovation are:

1. The From Ground Gather Cleaner (FGGC), an equipment to clean house gutters from ground level.

2. The Core Sampling System (CSS), is designed to investigate issues within wall or floor assemblies. Making small ½” hole a core sample of the wall or floor structure is taken for further investigation. The hole is then used to do a 4k endoscopy investigation as well.

3. The localized water test system that allows small areas on flat roofs to be tested for water leakage.

4. The high-rise water test (HRWT) system that facilitates water tests on high-rise buildings.

5. The EHA Rover is a remote-controlled mobile camera designed to investigate and assess insides of ducts, crawl levels, and plenums.

We are challenging the age-old norms of the envelope restoration process to be more efficient, deliver quick and optimized results, and pave the way for utmost client satisfaction

Sky-Side’s team has lots of experience designing, detailing, and erecting buildings. This allows them to know what’s inside walls, floors, plenums as a complete system, including HVAC, electrical, and plumbing components. This knowledge permits them to efficiently diagnose and solve building issues. With this “know how”, any damage to a property’s envelope is addressed quickly to optimize performance and reduce overall maintenance costs. The comprehensive building envelope services, combined with a group of multidisciplinary and talented young team members, empower the firm to design and engineer the restoration of enclosures for high-rise and low-rise buildings.

What’s unique about Sky-Side is its business model, where the firm takes complete control of processes, from assessing issues, designing solutions, to building repairs and restoration, and providing extended warranties for every job they do. This allows building owners and managers to deal with one entity that takes full control of all the required tasks, with complete enclosure resolution.

In addition to its never-ending appetite for innovation, Sky-Side is installing power-generating facades in partnership with Mitrex Integrated Solar Technology to promote solar enclosures for sustainable energy generation.