Nous Engineering was founded by Elizabeth Mahlow, Matt Melnyk, and Omar Garza in 2012. From our home base in Los Angeles, we undertake a variety of projects in the cultural, civic, commercial, education, experimental, and healthcare fields, partnering with a variety of design-forward architecture firms and artists. 

Our talented core group of engineers, designers, and modelers are incredibly well-versed in the engineering complexities of working in California, from the necessity for seismic expertise to the often complicated permitting and city processes that are required for every building. We are as comfortable taking on old buildings and giving them new (and strong) life as we are approaching a tabula rasa with an architect, and have continually sought to deliver sensible structural solutions that inspire. 

We are particularly skilled in seismic analysis and design, and are sought after for our capacity to conduct risk assessment evaluations for earthquake resilience. We are the go-to engineering firm for architects interested in historic preservation and adaptive reuse, and have been recognized for our ability to preserve design intent while increasing structural integrity. 

Our collaborators have told us that our ability to take theoretical concepts and ideas and turn them into practical, elegant, and construction-ready solutions is unique. We bring our inclusive and extensive background to bear, approaching each project through multiple lenses: art, science, engineering, and design. Our principals are active in the larger architecture and engineering community, teaching at institutions such as USC, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Woodbury University, and SCI-Arc, where Matt Melnyk has held a faculty position for more than a decade. This flexibility and comprehensiveness of engagement with the field of engineering has given us the advantage of state-of-the-art knowledge and continued expansion of expertise. 

Nous is committed to making a positive impact on our industry and the world. Whether working on affordable housing, backyard homes and ADUs or hospitals and schools in Africa, we are encouraged and invigorated in our contribution to building thriving and sustainable buildings and neighborhoods.

We are proud to work alongside its many clients and collaborators, many of which are small, women-led, and/or minority-owned businesses. Together, these women are actively shifting standards, changing mindsets, and disrupting the status quo.

We are also proud to partner with many of the most progressive and interesting designers working today, including Ball-Nogues; MASS Design Group; Johnston Marklee; Donaldson + Partners; Belzberg Architects; and more.  

We are committed to empowering a new, more diverse, and equitable generation of engineers through mentorship and leadership involvement in various organizations such as AIA Women in Architecture (WiA), SEAOSC Women in Structural Engineering (WiSE), Cal Poly’s Architectural Engineering Advisory Council, and the LA Forum for Architecture and Urban Design.