Robert F. Kollmer III

Robert F. Kollmer, P.E., LEED GA, is a Senior Mechanical Engineer and testifying expert with experience in mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, and building system design, forensic engineering, and infrastructure coordination across healthcare, commercial, institutional and residential building sectors.  His career includes hands-on design and construction administration, forensic investigation of building system failures and construction defects, property condition assessments, system performance evaluations, and academic instruction in mechanical engineering.  He applies practical understanding of building system design, installation, operation, and performance to evaluate complex technical issues and develop clear, defensible opinions for litigation and insurance matters.

As a member of Aperture’s Built Environment group, Mr. Kollmer performs forensic investigations involving mechanical, electrical, fire protection, plumbing systems, and building automation/control systems, with a focus on system failures, construction defect claims, property condition assessments, and building performance issues.  His work includes detailed site inspections, system capacity and performance evaluations, controls sequence and trend data analysis, document review, code and standard-of-care analysis, and preparation of defensible expert reports for litigation support and insurance matters.

His forensic opinions are informed by prior experience in HVAC, plumbing and mechanical system design, building controls analysis, construction administration, infrastructure coordination, and evaluation of installed work against design documents, codes, standards, and industry practice.  He draws on field observations, design and construction documents, control sequences, trend data, product literature, technical data, applicable standards, including ASHRAE, FGI, NFPA, and building code requirements, to evaluate the cause, extent and repair implications of complex building issues. 

Mr. Kollmer has experience supporting all phases of the litigation process, including document review, site inspections, deposition preparation, and trial testimony.  He is experienced in translating technical building system, design, controls, and construction issues into clear, well-supported opinions for attorneys, insurers, property owners, and other project stakeholders.

In addition to his forensic experience, Mr. Kollmer’s brings substantial design-side experience with complex HVAC and mechanical infrastructure systems serving healthcare, commercial, institutional, and mission-critical facilities.  His work has included trading floors, MRI and nuclear imaging suites, outpatient medical practices, commercial kitchen and dining facilities, health and fitness facilities, and large institutional buildings, where system performance depends on careful coordination of ventilation, temperature, humidity, pressurization, equipment capacity, energy use, constructability, and controls.  His system design background includes underfloor air distribution, dedicated outdoor air systems, fan coil units, VRF systems, custom air handling units, chilled water and condenser water plants, chiller and cooling tower infrastructure, gravity hot water systems, heat exchangers, low-temperature air distribution, and building automation strategies.  This experience gives him a practical, designer’s understanding of how mechanical systems are expected to function and how deficiencies in design, installation, coordination or control can affect building performance.

Mr. Kollmer’s technical background is further supported by his experience as an adjunct instructor in mechanical engineering, where he teaches applied HVAC design and fluid mechanics coursework.  His instruction emphasizes the connection between engineering theory, experimental data, observed system behavior, and professional judgement across topics including fluid dynamics, compressible flow, load calculations, ventilation analysis, equipment selection, distribution systems, controls, drawings, reports, and presentations.