About Us

Boutique building enclosure consultancy

No pretense, no jargon. Just answers, fast.

Our Story

Engineering the business of building envelope consulting.

Matt Copeland founded the firm in 2018 after years of watching envelope problems get studied to death by generalists, with recommendations packaged in jargon and ignored by the people who needed to act on them.

Our goal is to build a firm that combines deep technical expertise with clear writing, plain speech, and an honest read on every situation.

Today we're a team of building scientists, engineers, and consultants working from offices in Boston, Atlanta, and Minneapolis, serving clients across the East and Midwest.

CopelandBEC team in the field at a building envelope mock-up
Why We're Here

Buildings that last centuries instead of decades.

The point of all this work, in the end, is durable shelter. Resilient buildings. Resources used carefully. The next generation getting the buildings they deserve.

Better buildings

The science, technology, and craft of building better is not a secret but it can be complicated. We help our clients put the pieces together so the results match their vision.

Durability & resilience

We believe in sustainability through durability and resilience. There is nothing sustainable about dumpsters full of prematurely failed building materials.

Education

We are building science nerds and we like talking about this stuff to anyone who will listen.

The Team

Building science fanatics, eager to help you make better buildings.

Bianca Arruda

Bianca Arruda

Office Manager

With over 20 years of experience, Bianca has become a go-to resource for supporting our team with everything from contracts to insurance and general admin work. Her expertise is a huge asset to the team!

Arjun Bir

Arjun Bir, PE, RRC, CBECxP, RRO

Principal, Southeast Director

Arjun is a building scientist with a background in structural engineering, specializing in the design, investigation, and rehabilitation of building enclosures — roofing, exterior wall, fenestration, and waterproofing systems. He holds a Professional Engineer (PE) license in five states (GA, AL, NC, SC, and TN) and the following certifications through the International Institute of Building Envelope Consultants (IIBEC): Registered Roof Consultant (RRC), Registered Roof Observer (RRO), and Certified Building Envelope Commissioning Provider (CBECxP). He serves as a voting member on IIBEC's Excellence in Building Enclosure Consulting Awards Committee, which recognizes top global building envelope projects annually.

Matt Copeland

Matt Copeland, PE, RRC

Senior Principal, President

Founder of CopelandBEC and a building scientist and engineer with 25 years of experience spanning design, forensic investigation, litigation support, due diligence, and building enclosure commissioning. Licensed PE across all of New England plus Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas, and a Registered Roof Consultant (RRC); holds an M.S. in Materials Science & Engineering from WPI and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Northeastern.

Autumn Dean

Autumn Dean, BECxP

Staff Consultant, Midwest Director

Founder and director of the Minneapolis Office and Midwest practice area, Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) and Building Enclosure Commissioning Provider (BECxP). B.S. in Sustainable Building Science & Technology and a minor in Environmental Science from the University of Minnesota. Specializes in building science analysis, hygrothermal modeling, and enclosure commissioning. Building science lecturer at the University of Minnesota.

Edward Farrington

Edward Farrington, RRO

Technical Lead

Technical Lead, RRO, and building scientist with 30+ years of building enclosure and architecture experience spanning forensic investigation, design and quality assurance across a wide range of building types and enclosure systems.

Derrick Holmes

Derrick Holmes

Staff Consultant

Derrick is a Civil Engineering graduate of UMass Amherst with a career-long focus on healthy, sustainable environments for people and the planet. He has construction industry experience spanning forensic investigations, drafting, and design documentation, with a project-management track record across hundreds of projects.

Sean Maiden

Sean Maiden, PE, RRO

Principal, Director of Operations

Director of Operations and Principal, with a B.A.Sc. in Civil Engineering and a Structural Certificate from Canada's University of Waterloo. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Vermont, and Iowa, and is an IIBEC Registered Roof Observer (RRO). Sean specializes in guiding projects from initial phase assessment through completion, including building enclosure: condition assessment and investigation, rehabilitation design, peer review, and Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx).

Graham Markert

Graham Markert

Junior Consultant

Graduate of the University of Minnesota program in Sustainable Systems Management and Building Science. Brings a systems-thinking approach to robust, efficient, and healthy buildings.

Phoebe McCartan

Phoebe McCartan

Staff Consultant

Staff Consultant with a B.S. in Sustainable Building Science & Technology and a Construction Management minor from the University of Minnesota. Passionate about advancing building sustainability across its environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Primary focus on design-phase services with expertise in Revit and energy modeling for code compliance, and additional condition assessment, investigation, and construction administration experience.

Carmen Prantil

Carmen Prantil

Staff Consultant, Northeast Director

Leads the firm's Northeast operations, with a B.S. in Building Science and Technology and a minor in Architecture from the University of Minnesota. Spends most days working with existing buildings or supporting litigation matters, with a dabble in new construction too. Co-Chairs the National Women in Roofing Southern New England Council and finds real joy in opening doors for more people to thrive in the field.

Where We Work

Three regional offices. One team.

Born in Boston, we love making buildings work better wherever they may be. Our networked team works across a fast-growing territory.

Boston, MA

Northeast hub serving New England, New York, and the Mid-Atlantic.

Northeast Director: Carmen Prantil

Atlanta, GA

Southeast hub serving Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Florida.

Southeast Director: Arjun Bir, PE, RRO

Minneapolis, MN

Midwest hub serving Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and the upper Midwest.

Midwest Director: Autumn Dean

Licensed to provide engineering services in:

Connecticut · Florida · Georgia · Maine · Massachusetts · Minnesota · New Hampshire · North Carolina · Ohio · Rhode Island · South Carolina · Tennessee · Vermont

…and we’re always open to exploring licensure in new locales, so even if your project is elsewhere please get in touch.

Want to Work Together?

We'd love to hear from you.

Whether you're hiring an envelope consultant, looking for a job with us, or just want to talk building science — let's connect.