At the 2025 American Society of Civil Engineers SEI Structures Congress, several GMS team members joined fellow industry leaders to discuss critical issues shaping the future of structural engineering.

Joseph Basel, Jonathan Hernandez, and Andrew Dolan presented one of the most pressing topics of the moment: office-to-residential conversions in New York City. They shared key insights and lessons learned from GMS’s major adaptive reuse projects, including 25 Water Street, the largest office-to-residential conversion in the U.S.; Pearl House, also known as 160 Water Street, a transformative project in the Financial District; and the notable Flatiron conversion which is a significant redevelopment in one of New York City’s most recognized landmarks. These projects exemplify GMS’s commitment to reimagining existing buildings to meet the city’s evolving needs and contribute to creating more livable, sustainable urban environments.

Jessica Mandrick, who served as Vice Chair of the ASCE/SEI 24-24 Committee, Flood Resistant Design and Construction, delivered a presentation on flood-resistant design standards. She joined fellow committee members to lead a two-part technical workshop addressing the new requirements introduced in the standard and ASCE/SEI 7-22 Minimum Design Load and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, Supplement 2, Chapter 5 Flood Loads. The session covered updated standards for building in flood-prone areas, including new elevation requirements and expanded coverage to the 500-year floodplain. She explained how risk-based flood load calculations affect design, how these changes support broader resiliency goals, future code updates to expect, and shared real-world examples of how the new standards are being applied.

Valeria Prieto was honored with the SEI Future Fund Scholarship and featured in the “Meet the Future of Structural Engineering” session, which highlighted emerging leaders and their forward-thinking ideas. In her powerful talk, “From Paper to Practice: Why We Must Think Like Builders,” Valeria emphasized the importance of bridging the gap between design and construction, advocating for a more integrated approach that combines innovative design thinking with practical, on-site experience.

We are proud to see our team members represent GMS at this premier event, advancing the conversation around innovation, resilience, and the future of structural engineering.