New York City enacted Intro 1321-2025, the NYC Existing Building Code (EBC) on January 17, 2026 and this new code will go into effect on July 17, 2027. The EBC will govern the alteration and maintenance of existing buildings. It also amends the Administrative Code of the City of New York and repeals the 1968 Code. The EBC is modeled on the 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) and provides a comprehensive and streamlined regulatory framework for alterations to existing buildings. The IEBC is widely adopted throughout the country, including in New York State.

The Interplay between the Amended RPAPL 881 and
The NYC Building Code

On December 5, 2025, Governor Kathy Hochul signed major amendments to the New York Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law (RPAPL) § 881, which governs access to adjoining properties during construction. In contrast to its brief predecessor, the revised statute explicitly enumerates specific construction installations and cross-references construction codes and regulations. Consequently, understanding and properly applying the new law requires significant engineering insight. The following analysis examines the modified text to offer practical engineering clarifications to legal practitioners navigating these disputes.

Starting the new year with a new qualification – GMS Associate Susan Haynes is now a New York City Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector! Susan joins Partner Susanne Mackiw and the building envelope team providing our Clients with Façade and Parapet Inspection Safety Program inspections to comply with the Critical Façade Examinations as defined by Rule No. 103-04 of the Rules of the City of New York (formerly known as LL11) and Rule No. 103-15 Periodic Observation of Building Parapets.

GMS’s building envelope consulting expertise includes curtain walls, masonry, stone, precast concrete and specialty cladding systems, roofing, waterproofing, windows, glazing, skylights, repair, restoration, over cladding, Energy Code compliance, leak investigations, FISP (formerly known as LL11) and other inspections, peer reviews and due diligence studies.

Congratulations Susan!

After several years of planning and construction, the St. John’s Terminal building at 550 Washington Street is now home to Google’s HQ.  The project, which was completed earlier this year, is comprised of the adaptive reuse of the 90-year-old former freight terminal and a new 9-story overbuild addition. The new aluminum and glass structure spans two city blocks and is built on top of the original 3-story brick clad terminal that served as the end point for what was the Tenth Avenue elevated rail; known today as the High Line.

Last Saturday, Ramon Gilsanz, Founding Partner, joined a NIST/GEER team to survey the area surrounding the epicentral region. Here’s the report from GEER, Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance:

As a fun exercise, can you guess the correct percentage of women in our office here at GMS?

Yesterday GMS Partner Jessica Mandrick was named one of ENR New York’s 20 Top Young Professionals. She was cited as “An advocate for sustainable structures in a changing environment.”

This article for STRUCTURE Magazine’s November 2022 issue outlines the collaboration between the GMS team of Partners Karl Rubenacker and Jessica Mandrick, along with Project Engineer Lizhong Wang, and the building owner, Jack Resnick and Sons.

Work at Two Bryant Park, formerly known as 1100 Avenue of the Americas, is wrapping up after undergoing a complete transformation.  This 15-story office building located on Sixth Avenue between West 42^nd and 43^rd Streets, directly across from Bryant Park and adjacent to the Grace Building, offers exceptional views and amenities to its tenants. With floor-to-ceiling windows, this newly reflective façade is complimented by the structures and green space around it.  In addition to having views of Bryant Park, the building has convenient access to subways, Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

One of the great things about working at GMS is the diverse skills and perspectives of our staff. Congratulations to several members of our Building Envelope Group #GMSFacade on their recent promotions –  Daniel Kinsley and William Hutch are promoted to Project Managers, and Sara Gonzalez, Rafael Alvarez, and Joe Raffin are promoted to Senior Building Envelope Consultants.

Much applause and congratulations to each of the five of them! From left to right: