James Walker, PE, has a Master’s Degree in Architectural Engineering (specializing in Structural Design and Analysis in both commercial and residential areas, including significant experience with wood design) from Pennsylvania State University. He also has an MBA degree from the University of St. Thomas. His Civil Engineering Bachelors degree is from Clemson University, specializing in Structural Design and Analysis.
He has primarily worked in the structural design field and was the primary structural designer of several significant buildings including the Hartford Civic Center and many other hotels, hospitals and manufacturing facilities. His passion is residential design and he has worked with selective clients designing unique residences from small lakeside homes to expansive mansions.
The development of DuctBoard™ and VentBoard™ is the result of years of research and testing with various configurations and solutions with the objective to perfect a superior replacement for regular sheathing that provides integral ventilation and superior strength in a familiar, cost-saving design. DuctBoard has broad appeal in all markets providing significant profit to the manufacturer and savings to the homeowner with a floor sheathing that provides superior strength and integral treated air supply and return plenums. VentBoard™ is especially valuable in northern areas because of the high incidence of ice dams and resulting damage and in southern areas to reduce attic temperatures and cooling costs. Footless Forms are another patented foundation forming system that presents significant cost and time savings.
James Walker is also a Certified General Appraiser, a pilot with Instrument Rating and has served extensively on various municipal and school boards. He is also is published in numerous fields. A Comparative Analysis of Residential Floor Framing Systems and other articles in the real estate appraisal industry have been published nationally. Additionally, he has authored a book describing his two-week wilderness canoe trip with his son to James Bay in the Arctic Circle. He has held adjunct teaching positions at colleges and universities.