About
Simplengi Engineering is a full-service structural engineering firm based in the East Bay. SE began providing structural engineering services for residential projects in 2009 with David Yadegar as the sole engineer. We slowly grew to a team of 5 over a decade and in late 2020, David and his dad John combined their offices to offer a wider array of services.
We now work on a variety of projects including residential, multi-family, restaurants, wineries, and other commercial projects. Our multi-faceted team can handle projects from as small as a single-family retrofit to a multi-story residential development.
We enjoy challenges. Thinking creatively about how a building comes together most efficiently is our form of play.
We work collaboratively and think of buildings holistically. A big part of what we do is in coordination with architects on designing and contractors on building to ensure our projects get built solidly and the way they were intended.
We are passionate about sustainability and designing efficiently with our specifications. We are always balancing design with cost, environmental goals, and our clients’ needs in doing our work.
Our Team
David:
I earned my BS in structural engineering from UC San Diego and have worked for a couple different structural engineering companies almost exclusively in the residential field. After a couple years of design work, I began to feel disconnected from the construction part of each project. I decided to spend some time working construction building projects that I was designing so that I could get an idea of how buildings actually got put together. Working in the field has helped me design more easily constructible buildings and residential structures.
John enjoys designing structures that are creative and cost effective, and as simple as they are cutting edge. John works closely with architects and builders to deliver structures that are consistent with client’s objectives and responsive to the design team’s needs. John’s wide-ranging experience allows him to offer accurate advice that can ultimately reduce construction costs. He has consulted on distinctive residential and commercial buildings but also on local schools, religious structures, historic landmarks and restaurants. There was also the pedestrian bridge installed by helicopter, or the restoration and relocation of a 25′ copper sculpture. He carried JYASF engineering for over 30 years and now well-deserves his internal title ‘John the Elder.’ He’s also pretty happy not to be the boss anymore.
Ray:
Ray came to the Bay Area from Reno in 2011 to attain his Master of Science degree in Structural Engineering, Mechanics, and Materials from UC Berkeley. In his decade in California, he has achieved his Professional Engineering license and gained experience designing a diverse variety of projects ranging from seismic retrofits of existing structures to the structural support of new art sculptures. He loves the freshness of and fast pace of working on many different projects each year. Outside of engineering, he enjoys basketball, soccer, snowboarding, and making music with his band.
Antwon:
Since completing his graduate studies at UC San Diego in 2014, Antwon has designed residential and commercial spaces ranging from single-family homes to multi-story hotels. His body of experience reflects his enthusiasm for working with a variety of different clients and types of projects. Antwon is a passionate home builder, creating furniture and other small construction projects in his free time. Antwon has an avid interest in jogging and growing vegetables and herbs in his backyard.
Swadhin:
Swadhin graduated from Illinois Institute of Technology with a Master of Science in Structural Engineering. His main interests are in design and analysis of residential and commercial structures with a focus on constructability and value engineering. Outside of work, Swadhin will be spending time picnicking in the Golden Gate Park with his wife or hiking a random trail in the Bay.
Jon:
Jon received his undergraduate degree in Zoology at UC Santa Barbara. For his senior thesis, he studied parasitic worms in raccoons. He learned that raccoons are wickedly smart and that their parasitic worms can be deadly to people! When the local zoo was not hiring, he joined Simplengi as an intern in 2015 and eventually became a project engineer. When he doesn’t have his eyes glued to a set of plans, he likes to run and mountain bike on the trails.
Dhanika:
Dhanika started at Simplengi working on small retrofits and is now a structural designer. She has a BS in Biology from UC Santa Barbara, and during her undergrad she studied beach hoppers and other sandy beach invertebrates. She is stoked to be in a new field learning how to design structures. Outside of work she is taking care of her two dogs or learning to shred on an electric guitar.
Santosh:
Santosh completed his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The National Institute of Engineering in Mysore, India. He came to the United states in 2016 to pursue his master’s degree in Structural and Earthquake Engineering from San Francisco State University. As a design engineer, Santosh has worked on a wide range of projects from retrofitting existing buildings to designing new residential buildings. Outside of work he enjoys playing soccer and cricket, along with occasional hiking and jogging.
Ariel:
Ariel graduated with a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from the National Engineering University in Nicaragua and later earned a Master’s in Structural Engineering, specializing in seismic-resistant structures, at the American University in Nicaragua. Since 2019, he’s been involved in a range of structural projects, always keeping safety and material efficiency in mind. He’s big on using Python to automate calculations, is a lifelong soccer fan, loves music, and can often be found singing in the shower.
Daniel:
Daniel completed a Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Driven by his curiosity about how structures work, he joined the concrete structures lab at UNAM, where he tested and analyzed complex designs as part of his research work. Daniel has taken on numerous structural engineering projects, focusing on challenging materials and geometries that meet both international and national standards. A passionate traveler, Daniel is always excited to experience new places and cultures. He’s also a taco enthusiast, especially when it comes to Asada tacos with Habanero chili sauce.
Trey:
Trey has a BA in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and a BS in Accounting from the University of Montana in Missoula. His work history includes tech and financial consulting with Accenture and IT leadership for several Bay Area companies. He is thrilled to be part of the growing Simplengi Engineering operations team. Outside of work you will find him hiking with his family, skiing on the slopes in Tahoe, and coaching little league in El Cerrito.