Talented individuals with a passion for engineering
Blue Nest is a collective of curious and thoughtful people dedicated to understanding our clients aspirations and delivering elegant solutions.
GARRETT BRAUN
Principal
Blue Nest Structural was born from Garrett’s passion for unique and innovative projects that push the boundaries in end use or structural design. His structural engineering experience spans throughout the East Coast from his time living and working in Orlando, Atlanta, Boston and Richmond and includes the adaptive reuse of historic museums, new higher education facilities as well as private mixed-use developments. He holds a bachelors and master’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Garrett is involved in various community and professional organizations including Storefront for Community Design and his work as the Vice Chair for the Urban Land Institute Virginia Regional Livable Communities Local Product council. He lives in Richmond with his wife, Lauren, and their two kids.
Chris folsom
Project engineer
Originally from Atlanta, Chris graduated with a bachelor's degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2019. He has experience designing tilt-up concrete warehouses, retail and commercial spaces, as well as new residential buildings. He has worked in Atlanta, Portland, Maine, and Richmond. Chris moved to Richmond after hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2022.
piyush pradhananga
Engineer - structural
Piyush graduated with a bachelor's degree from Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu, Nepal in 2016. Overall, he has three years of professional experience in the construction of high-rise commercial building, forensic assessment of earthquake damaged building and analysis of residential structures in Nepal. Piyush later completed a master’s and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Florida International University, Miami, Florida in 2023. While completing his Ph.D., Piyush worked as research assistant in the construction management department and published 15 scientific journal articles and 31 conference papers in the civil engineering field. He holds professional credentials such as LEED Green Associate, Envision Sustainability Professional, and Engineer in Training (EIT) in the U.S.
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