Saiful Bouquet was founded by Dr. Saiful Islam and Tom Bouquet in 1997. They sought to establish a practice that looked beyond the traditional boundaries of structural engineering, to provide structural engineering advice based on a holistic understanding of building cost, function, aesthetics, and performance, not just structural parameters. Using plain language and clearly illustrated graphic displays, Saiful Bouquet began to communicate with architects and building owners in a new way, involving them more directly in the selection of structural systems. The company developed a collaborative approach to learning about client’s goals and educating team members about structural engineering, so that each project solution could evolve from a shared understanding of the building’s response to project objectives, not from preconceived ideas or prior project experience.