Structural Engineering Consultancy — New Zealand
Motivated By
Thoughtful & Coordinated
Design
Expert structural advice that contractors are happy to build.
I would highly recommend Rob to provide advice on any large scale commercial project. His attention to detail and practical approach to optimising our designs has benefited Ockham Residential for the last 15 years.
William Deihl
CEO — Ockham Residential
About Heuristic
35+ Years of
Practical Expertise
Rob Foster has over 35 years of experience in structural engineering with a broad range of expertise across commercial, industrial and residential building sectors.
Rob was a founding director of a successful structural engineering consultancy from 1997–2026, growing it to over 50 staff working on projects throughout New Zealand.
Heuristic Ltd leverages years of experience, industry contacts and purpose-built AI tools for documentation review to drive better outcomes for new projects and existing buildings — working alongside clients and consultants to ensure efficiency, coordination and value.
Our Philosophy
“We are not here to replace your existing consultants — we are here to add value at key project stages.
It’s not about over-engineering, under-engineering or scoring points. We are motivated by well thought out and coordinated designs that contractors are happy to build.”
I would recommend Rob Foster to any developer who requires a detail oriented structural engineer who thoroughly understand the demands of large-scale industrial construction
Adrian Hynds
Managing Director, Hynds Limited
What We Do
Structural Expertise
Across Every Stage
Of Your Project
Feasibility & Concept Advice
Early-stage structural input to test project viability, identify risks, and inform design decisions before significant costs are committed.
QA / Design Reviews / Value Engineering
External quality assurance and value engineering at preliminary, developed, and detailed design stages — checking coordination between structural, architectural, and services documentation.
Building Reports
Pre-purchase inspections, IEP and DEE seismic assessments, body corporate reports, and remediation strategies for residential and commercial properties.
Mediate to Remediate (Dispute Resolution)
A collaborative approach to resolve building disputes between owners, body corporates, contractors and developers - Practical advice to reach economic and timely solutions.
Expert Witness
Independent expert evidence for building disputes and Environment Court proceedings, backed by decades of front-line engineering experience.
Insurance Claims
Cause determination, repair scoping, and building code compliance assessments to support insurance claims and the repair process.
I have worked with Rob on several school projects and on one occasion we worked collaboratively on alternative detailing to produce cost savings in the structure of approximately $150,000.
External Quality Assurance
QA / Value Engineering
Reviews
Review work is ideally carried out through preliminary, developed, and detailed design stages — or in tandem with your PS2 consenting timeframes.
We provide clear, practical feedback that helps your team deliver better documentation without disrupting project momentum.
Review scope includes
- 35 years of experience combined with purpose-built AI tools for documentation review
- Review consent documentation during the PS2 process
- Review of concept / preliminary design schemes
- Coordination checks between final Structural and Architectural details
- Value engineering incorporating alternative materials, products or details
- Suggestions and Alternative proposals from specialist contractors
- Checking level of coordination between structural engineer, architect, services engineer and builder
- Feedback on documentation quality relative to your consultants’ fee proposals
Rob has produced very efficient design solutions consistently, for example on one occasion a redesign by Rob (of a previously engineered project) produced a savings of over $300,000 in the piling alone.
Mark Todd
Founder / Development Manager — Ockham Residential
Building Reports
Reports & Assessments
For Every Situation
Heuristic provides building reports covering structure, durability and building issues across residential, commercial and industrial properties.
Pre-Purchase Inspections
Structural advice for residential and commercial property purchases, including renovation assessments and preliminary costings.
IEP Reports
Independent Initial Evaluation Procedure reports to determine the percentage of New Building Standard (%NBS).
DEE Reports
Detailed Earthquake Engineering assessments providing accurate %NBS for buildings requiring deeper seismic analysis.
Body Corporate Reports
Structural capacity, durability, and maintenance assessments for body corporates, including remediation strategies.
Mediation & Expert Witness
Building reports prepared specifically to support mediation proceedings and expert witness testimony.
Insurance Assessments
Cause determination, repair scoping, and building code compliance assessments to support insurance claims.
Rob Foster has worked closely with City Rail Link Limited and has managed the delivery of over 100 building reports as part of the subterranean compensation process. These reports have been used for mediation and have consistently withstood the scrutiny of other peer review engineers working for the landowners.
Rachel Davis-Colley
Programme Manager, Property — City Rail Link Ltd
Get in Touch
Let's Talk
About Your Project
Whether you need a feasibility review, QA support on a live project, or a building report for a purchase or dispute — get in touch to discuss how Heuristic can add value.
Location
Auckland, New Zealand
Ready to add value to your project?
Heuristic is not here to replace your existing consultants. We are here to provide valuable insights and overview at key project stages, ensuring efficiency, coordination and value for your clients and stakeholders.
Send an Enquiry