New York City is home to many of the most iconic buildings in the world. The familiar skyline is displayed on various postcards and photographs and is often referenced in pop culture each day. In addition to being known for its diverse cultures and high-end fashion, the Big Apple is home to many skyscrapers, including One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and of course, the Flatiron Building. Originally designed by Daniel Burnham and completed in 1902, the Flatiron Building sits at 175 Fifth Avenue in the heart of its namesake, the Flatiron District. The structure was one of the earliest skyscrapers in New York City history and quickly became one of its top tourist attractions, mainly due to its unique triangular shape. In 1966, the Flatiron Building was designated as a landmark in New York City and would become a National Historic Landmark in 1989. The Flatiron Building was originally developed as offices for the Fuller Company and remained as such until 2019 when Macmillan Publishers left the building.

Located at 36 Journal Square Plaza in Jersey City, New Jersey, The Journal is a two-tower residential and retail development that contributes to the ongoing transformation of the Journal Square neighborhood. The project is centered around newly designed public plazas that improve circulation, connectivity, and the overall pedestrian experience.

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.

Across the built environment, sustainability is often discussed in terms of metrics and targets. While those frameworks are important, many of the most impactful decisions happen at a more practical level—through how we approach existing buildings.

One of the most effective ways to support more responsible development is by extending the useful life of structures. Adaptive reuse allows buildings to evolve alongside changing needs, minimizing demolition while maximizing the value already embedded in the built environment.

GMS provided structural engineering for the new three-story field house located west of the existing football field and overlooking the adjacent soccer and lacrosse field. The fieldhouse includes several strategies to reduce its carbon footprint and conserve water and energy and was built for $26M. The field house totals approximately 45,000 sf and opened in the Fall of 2025.

When people think of New York City, they think of the bright lights, the larger-than-life skyscrapers, the diverse cultures, the endless activities, and landmarks that attract millions of tourists worldwide each year. As a cultural epicenter, the Big Apple has plenty to offer. It is, of course, also home to many of the flagship locations of some of the most famous and recognizable brands in the world, namely on Fifth Avenue. Fifth Avenue has a longstanding history spanning as far back as the 19^th century, with iconic brands such as Gucci, Armani, Nike, Prada, Versace, and Louis Vuitton establishing their own retail stores along the well-known avenue. We are proud to say that GMS has extensive experience when it comes designing structures to support and help realize the visions of these unique shopping environments. Nationwide, we have been involved in retail projects from new, ground-up constructions to renovations. We work with a wide variety of materials to solve unique challenges that may arise. The GMS team are experts at analyzing complex geometries of architectural amenities, unique storefront systems, canopies, and stairs.

Two GMS projects were recognized by the ACEC New York 2026 Engineering Excellence Awards:

50 Ninth Avenue – A renovation and adaptive reuse of multiple landmarked townhouses in the Meatpacking District. This project not only respects the past but also shapes the future of adaptive reuse in New York City and beyond.

25 Water Street – An office-to-residential conversion in Lower Manhattan, one of the largest of its kind in the city. The success of the project is a testament to the bright future of the adaptive reuse of large office buildings nationwide.

At Gilsanz Murray Steficek, we believe that building stronger communities goes beyond the structures we design. This Giving Tuesday, we’re proud to support organizations that advance equity, resilience, and opportunity across a range of fields — from healthcare and education to the built environment.

GMS provides a comprehensive range of inspection services for structures and building envelopes, including special inspections, garage, façade, retaining wall, tunnel, pedestrian bridge assessments, and parapet testing. We have ICC certified special inspectors, NYC Qualified Parking Structure Inspectors (QPSI), Qualified Exterior Wall Inspectors (QEWI), Qualified Retaining Wall Inspectors (QRWI), qualified parapet inspectors, and nationally certified tunnel inspectors. Our qualified staff deliver clear evaluations, code compliance support, and repair design services to ensure safety and performance.

To learn more about GMS inspection services, email us at info@gmsllp.com or call (212) 254-0030.

GMS served as the structural engineer for two SKIMS flagship projects in New York City and Los Angeles, supporting the brand’s expansion into iconic retail destinations on both coasts.

GMS is excited to announce our latest staff promotions. Each of these individuals is a valuable member of the GMS team, and we wish them continued success in their careers.

The National Council of Structural Engineers Associations Structural Engineering Summit: Bright Ideas in the Big Apple is coming to New York City on October 14 – 17, 2025! The Summit is the annual conference for Structural Engineers from across the country and GMSers will present three panels.

This past year, construction was completed at One High Line in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The 900,000 sf mixed-use development consists of two towers, standing at 38-stories and 28-stories respectively, with a total of 236 condominium units. Each structure sits on top of a five-story podium building at 76 Eleventh Avenue on a trapezoid-shaped plot of land. The towers house approximately 18,000 sf of amenity spaces, including retail, additional residences, and back-of-house support spaces. There is also a planned hotel feature that will be managed by Faena Hotel and will open in the near future.

The Arts & Powerhouse Building at 130 Bay Street in Jersey City’s Powerhouse Arts District has officially commenced commercial leasing. Originally constructed in 1913 as the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company Warehouse, the building has undergone a $30 million renovation that blends its industrial heritage with modern office and retail spaces.

Utility Thermal Energy Networks and Jobs Act: Chelsea & Rockefeller Center

As part of a New York State Public Service Commission initiative to decarbonize buildings across New York State, the Utility Thermal Energy Networks and Jobs Act was passed to accelerate the development of utility-scale, grid-interactive thermal energy networks (UTENs). These systems reduce greenhouse gases; they harness waste heat, geothermal energy, and advanced heat pump technology to provide efficient, low-emission heating and cooling across multiple buildings. Two of the most ambitious pilot projects under this act—the Chelsea and Rockefeller Center networks—are redefining how we think about sustainable energy in both residential and commercial contexts. 

GMS congratulates our Principal, Tim Barnard, on his retirement and celebrates his remarkable career in structural engineering.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Tim began his career in London after earning a Bachelor of Science and Technology from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. His professional journey eventually brought him across the Atlantic and led him to GMS, where he spent nearly 30 years shaping the firm and its legacy. With over four and a half decades of experience in structural engineering, Tim’s portfolio spans high-rise office towers, public institutions, schools, retail renovations, residential buildings, and hospital projects across the United States, the Caribbean, and Europe.

Top of the Rock, located on the 67th, 69th, and 70th floors of 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, is one of New York’s most iconic observation decks. As part of a recent revitalization effort, the owners aimed to introduce new, immersive visitor experiences that involved installing two amusement rides on the roof of the historic skyscraper. Construction had to be meticulously planned so that the observation deck could remain open to patrons throughout construction. In recognition of the project’s creative approach to adaptive reuse, it was honored with the 2025 AISC IDEAS² Award for Excellence in Adaptive Reuse of Steel Structures.

On May 28, GMS Partner and GeoHazards International (GHI) Board Trustee Ramon Gilsanz delivered a powerful presentation at the Real Academia de Doctores de España in Madrid. His talk, titled “Preparedness for Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Landslides,” highlighted the critical importance of disaster mitigation and the proactive implementation of preventive measures—particularly in less developed countries—to reduce the devastating impacts of natural hazards.

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.

In December 2024, the New York City Council officially adopted the City of Yes Zoning for Housing Opportunity. The City of Yes initiative aims to minimize parking restrictions and provide new housing opportunities across all five boroughs. In April 2024, New York State enacted the 467-m tax incentive program, known as “Affordable Housing from Commercial Conversions,” to bolster the transformation of non-residential buildings into affordable housing. And with the recent growing trend of converting existing underutilized or abandoned office spaces into state-of-the-art residential buildings, the possibilities are endless. As structural engineers, we have a critical role in understanding the many challenges and complexities that come with these projects.

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!

GMS teams are bringing the energy, from big wins to kicking off new seasons!

The highly anticipated Pearl House, a luxury residential conversion in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, opened its doors to new tenants early this year. Developed by the Vanbarton Group and designed by Gensler, this $273 million project is the largest office-to-residential conversion in the city’s history.  Pearl House boasts 588 market rate luxury apartments right in the heart of the Seaport district and offers water views and luxury resort-style amenities to its tenants. Residences range from studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments to penthouses with private terraces.

In cities like Manhattan, where urban development and water bodies converge, floodproofing of structures is not just a regulatory requirement but a crucial aspect of building design. The coastal geography of New York City is considered highly vulnerable to flooding from extreme weather conditions. As we witness climate change and sea level rise, we anticipate flood risks to increase.

In a recent AIA NY presentation on flood and hurricane mitigation, a panel of experts, including building envelope consultants, a structural engineer, and an architect, shared their insights on addressing the challenges posed by extreme weather events in New York City. The discussion covered Flood Zone and Wind-Borne Debris Region designations, relevant building codes, and real-world applications, highlighting critical construction details from ongoing projects.

In this article, we will focus on Daniel Kinsley’s portion of the presentation, where he shared his expertise on flood mitigation for building envelopes. A future article will summarize Jessica Mandrick’s structural engineering perspective. GMS has completed several projects that showcase innovative floodproofing strategies to enhance building resilience and safety.

One Madison Avenue, one of New York City’s iconic structures, has undergone a major transformation, marking it as one of the most significant adaptive reuse projects of the 21st century. Originally constructed in 1893 by the renowned architectural firm Napoleon Le Brun & Sons, One Madison Avenue was once among the largest office buildings in the city, spanning an entire block between Park and Madison Avenues, from East 23^rd to East 24^th Streets.

GMS is pleased to announce the promotion of Michael Pugliese to Associate Partner and Clara Cruz to Project Manager. Additionally, we are excited to welcome Susan Haynes to the building envelope team as an Associate. We look forward to celebrating the continued accomplishments of these talented colleagues.

This recently issued Manual of Practice is intended as a guide to design professionals and their clients such as building owners, prospective purchasers, tenants, regulatory officials, and others. This guideline establishes the assessment procedure, including investigation, testing methods, and format for the report of the condition. The methodology is particularly relevant in the current period marked by numerous building conversions. As a member of the Subcommittee on Structural Condition Assessment of Existing Buildings, Dan Eschenasy, the GMS Principal Forensic Engineer, contributed to its development by focusing mainly on the chapter related to the assessment of masonry.

It should be noted that Dan also contributed to the Publication of the ASCE Guideline for Condition Assessment of the Building Envelope (30-14), and together with Alissa Shapiro, GMS Associate, participates in the development of ASCE 11-28 Structural Condition Assessment of Existing Buildings Standard.

Link to Publication

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.

In an ambitious blend of historic preservation and modern construction, 50 Ninth Avenue, formerly known as 44-54 Ninth Avenue, has undergone a significant transformation. Spearheaded by MEPA Realty LLC and Tavros Capital, the project involved the renovation of nine existing historic buildings and the addition of a nine-story commercial structure. GMS provided structural engineering services, demolition engineering and structural special inspections for this complex project.  The revitalized site now stands as a testament to innovative design and careful preservation.

GMS Partner Ramon Gilsanz presented “Disaster Prevention” at the 2024 ASCE Metropolitan Section Seminar Series on Thursday, May 16th.

The Yale Peabody Museum recently underwent its first major renovation and expansion since its inception in 1925. GMS provided structural engineering services for this ambitious project, which aims to increase daily engagement with visitors and Yale students.

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?

On February 27, 2024, the residential conversion of this former 22 story office building was topped out with a 10-story addition. The new structure includes the replacement of its brick façade with a modern fenestration with more expansive windows, and the gut renovation of its 1.1 million square feet of interiors will be converted to 1,300 rental units.

GMS Partner Jessica Mandrick presented on “ASCE 7 Flood Loads – Changes in ASCE 7-22 Supplement 2” at SEAoNY’s annual conference on Thursday, February 8^th.

10 members of the GMS Team attended this year’s conference on “Past, Present, and Future of Building Codes,” attending Jessica’s presentation as well as others on topics such as “Design Steel Your Way,” “Geotechnical Peer Review,” and “Reinforcing Steel Specifications from 1910 to Today.”

GMS held our annual Holiday Party at Mustang Harry’s on December 12^th, bringing together current employees and some GMS alumni.  The evening was spent enjoying drinks, food, and each other’s company. Our team celebrated an eventful year at the firm as we began new projects, wrapped up existing ones, and welcomed new staff.

Another year of CANStruction is here, and the GMS Team drew inspiration from a beloved cohort of video game characters. This year’s sculpture, aptly named “Mushroom in Manhattan,” was constructed out of cans of salmon and tuna fish. Captain Sara McMonagle was joined on build night by Adrianna Early, Emily Taylor, May Thu Nwe Nwe, Juan Angulo, Florentin Lejeune, Maxence Gosselin, and Will Saldana.

GMS Associate Partner Andrew Dolan, P.E., S.E., has published an editorial in the October issue of Structure Magazine! The article, entitled “Office to Residential Conversions – The Opportunities and The Challenges,” delves into the various aspects of office-to-residential conversions.

On October 5^th, GMS Partner Ramon Gilsanz visited Instituto Cervantes at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to give a presentation entitled “Disaster Prevention.” The presentation was prepared by Ramon Gilsanz, Dan Eschenasy, Gia Antonelli, and Reed Miller, all from GMS, as well as Veronica Cedillos and Susan Bailey from Geohazards International (GHI). During the presentation, Gilsanz offered an introduction to previously employed practices, suggestions for improvement of coordination between architects and structural engineers, and methods to save human lives and reduce economic loss.

The GMS Team celebrated the summer season with our annual summer party, hosted this year at Arlo NoMad’s rooftop venue. Our full-time staff, interns, and even some GMS alumni gathered after work on August 16^th to chat and enjoy a lovely view of the Manhattan skyline.

Pictured (left to right): Andrew Dolan, Rosemarie Isleib, Ana Gallego, Miryam Varona, and Mark Beltramello.

GMS is pleased to announce that Mark Beltramello, Andrew Dolan, and Ana Gallego have been promoted to the role of Associate Partner and that Miryam Varona has been promoted to the role of Associate. In addition, GMS has welcomed Rosemarie Isleib to our team, as an Associate. We look forward to continuing to celebrate the accomplishments of these talented engineers and architects! Look below to learn more about Mark, Andrew, Ana, Miryam, and Rosemarie.

The Leo D. Mahoney Arena at Fairfield University, a GMS project completed with Centerbrook Architects, opened its doors in November 2022. Our structural engineering and BIM teams, including Gary Steficek, Eugene Kim, John Hinchcliffe, Phoebe Wang, Rui Zhang, and Petr Vancura, assisted in creating this 85,000-sf convocation center that received an Honorable Mention at this year’s SEAoNY SEE Awards.

GMS was honored to receive one of Anchin’s Construction, Design, & Real Estate Industry Impact Awards for 2023. The award was presented by Anchin Accountants and Advisors, as well as their partners: the New York Building Congress, the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York, the Subcontractors Trade Association, and The Real Deal.

GMS is thrilled that Casimir Bognacki, PE, FACI has joined our firm as a Principal! (Some of you met him a few weeks ago when he taught the ACI Grade 1 Concrete Inspector class here in the office.)

Left side Image: Back row: Mark Beltramello, Sebastian Delgado, Sara McMonagle, May Thu Nwe Nwe, Isabel Lorenzo, and Ramon Gilsanz; Seated: Dan Eschenasy, Phoebe Wang, and Adrianna Early. Right side Image: Ana Gallego and Eugene Kim.

Congratulations to several members of our GMS staff who have volunteered and been selected to serve as part of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 7-28 committees!

The GMS Team has published another article in Structure Magazine! This latest contribution, authored by Hannah Garfield, PE, and May Thu Nwe Nwe, PhD, elaborates on the benefits of modeling kits as teaching tools for students.

Congratulations to both GMS Building Envelope and Structural teams for receiving project awards last week!

The March issue of Structure Magazine features an article by GMS Principal Forensic Engineer Dan Eschenasy entitled “Underlying Causes of Exterior Sign Accidents.”

This coming Thursday will be a big day for GMS!

Jose Mendoza, AIA will be speaking at The Architect’s Newspaper’s Façade+ Conference of 2023 on March 30, 2023. The event will go on for two days, with the symposium being held on March 30th from 8 A.M. to 7 P.M.  at the Metropolitan Pavilion located in 125 West 18th Street, New York, NY. The second day will consist of workshops that will be held on March 31st at the New York Law School located at 185 West Broadway, New York, NY. You can register to attend the event here.

Principal Forensic Engineer Dan Eschenasy was invited to present at ASCE – Metropolitan Section’s 9th Annual RA Lecture on Thursday, March 30, 2023 from 6 P.M to 7 P.M EST. Dan will discuss building code requirements for Foundation Design and outline his views on the need for a published standard of care for geotechnical engineering, and the risks posed by the delegated design. You can register to attend the online webinar here.

On March 3, 2023, Jonathan Hernandez and Mark Beltramello served as presenters at APT Northeast’s 2023 Annual Meeting & Symposium at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA!

During their presentation, Jonathan and Mark discussed the structural restoration and renovation of terracotta materials, which included the implications and challenges that they have encountered in the terracotta buildings that have been restored, renovated, and repurposed. As they explained, the buildings containing terracotta arches and flat terracotta arch slabs utilize terra cotta as a load-bearing structural material. Also discussed was the history of these floor slab systems, and how much they’ve changed over time since being developed in 1871.

A few of their more recent case studies that were covered during their presentation included Manhattan Eye, Ear, & Throat Hospital (MEETH), 2 Bryant Park, the Flatiron Building, and 230 Park Avenue South, all of which contain flat terracotta arches.

You can read the full program here.

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.

GMS is excited to announce our latest staff promotions. Each of these individuals is a valuable member of the GMS team, and we wish them continued success in their careers.

Dan Eschenasy PE. F.SEI

Principal Forensic Engineer

A new version of the New York City Building Code becomes effective this 7^th November. Will it impact the recent years’ trend of increase in the number of cases related to Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law – §881  Access to adjoining property to make improvements or repairs (RPAPL 881)?  In older areas of New York City (NYC), the building density is such that any new construction or even some alterations cannot be executed without accessing the adjoining property for inspection and installation of protective devices. As a result, the negotiations and cases are generally based on the sections prescribing the protection of adjoining property of NYC Building Code Chapter 33 Safeguards during Construction or Demolition. Even though the 2022 Building Code edition has only a limited number of changes to these Chapter 33 sections, this engineer proposes that the changes in subchapter 3306 Demolition related to temporary weather protection and building assessment may provide increased opportunities to negotiate licenses to access adjoining properties. Separately, it is most probable that additional sources for negotiations may be found in the new 1817.3 Evaluation of adjacent buildings for suitable methods of support.

In 2014, Vornado Realty Trust engaged the GMS Building Envelope Group to assist in the re-design of Two Penn Plaza’s exterior envelope and plaza. The initial task was a feasibility study to explore possibilities for over-cladding the existing exterior wall.  Since then, additional studies, design possibilities, and structural support scenarios have been considered. While the transformation is still in progress, it is far enough along to see the “lines on paper” becoming reality.  The GMS team looks forward to completion and will be pleased to have worked on the project from start to finish.

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.

GMS’ project at Irving Plaza has been awarded the 2021 New York Interior/Tenant Improvement Award of Merit.

On June 7, Partner Ramon Gilsanz presented at the IX Connections 9th International Workshop on Connections in Steel Structures. Held in Coimbra, Portugal, this workshop provides researchers the opportunity to meet and discuss the behavior, strength, and design for steel structures.

GMS is excited to announce that former Chief Structural Engineer of the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) Dan Eschenasy is joining the company as our Principal Forensic Engineer. He brings over 40 years of forensic engineering experience to future GMS projects.

GMS was thrilled to participate in the Facades+ Conference, held in New York City on April 13-14, where Senior Building Envelope Consultant Sara Gonzalez gave a presentation on 130 William Street. The façade of this unique 66-story building in Lower Manhattan is made of pre-cast panels with arched windows and loggias on the top floors. GMS was the façade consultant on the project, working with developer Lightstone Group, Adjaye Associates, and Hill West Architects.

GMS is a finalist for the American Institute of Steel Construction’s (AISC) 2022 IDEAS² Awards in the “less than $15 million” bracket.

Last month, GMS had the pleasure of hosting 18 engineering students from California Polytechnic State University. Staff members spoke to the students about GMS projects and gave them a glimpse into what it’s like living and working in New York City, giving them advice on how to succeed in the structural engineering industry, and the transition from being a college student to working full-time.

Last month, GMS was thrilled to attend the in-person National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) Structural Engineering Summit.

In 2020, the construction of the York Studios Michaelangelo Campus was completed in the Bronx, NY. This was a unique project for GMS’ New Jersey office, who provided structural engineering services for this new 165,000 sf, two-story television/film production studio.

This year is a big one for GMS work anniversaries. In 2022 – 31 years since GMS was formed – many of our employees will reach incredible milestones for their years dedicated to GMS.

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Steel SpeedConnection Challenge has concluded, and the GMS team was one of three Grand Prize Winners selected for their innovative solution to structural steel beam connections.

Just prior to the start of the 2021-2022 school year, the academic expansion of Greenwich Country Day School’s Upper School was completed!

Founding partner of Gilsanz Murray Steficek, Ramon Gilsanz, has been awarded the 2021 National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) James Delahay Award.

GMS is very happy and proud to announce that Jessica Mandrick and Joe Mugford have been promoted to Partners.

Gilsanz Murray Steficek experienced considerable change in 2021. In addition to returning to in-person work in our offices and making an effort to return to a safe, healthy, new normal, GMS has grown our number of employees with several new hires.

The feature article for Concrete International’s January 2022 issue comes from the collaboration of Michael Hopper (LERA Consulting Structural Engineers), Michael A. Russillo (Cobiax USA Inc.), Mike Mota (Cobiax USA Inc.), and GMS founding partner, Ramon Gilsanz.

Thirty years ago, in 1991, founding partners, Ramon Gilsanz, Philip Murray, and Gary Steficek, came together to form Gilsanz Murray Steficek. Seasoned and established engineers, the three partners started GMS in an office at 95 University Place in Manhattan with one employee and one purpose: to provide structural engineering solutions to communities across the world.  

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has released ASCE 7-22, Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE/SEI 7-22), which plays a critical role in the future of building codes in the United States.

The Construction Codes Revision Bill, Local Law 126 of 2021, was enacted on November 7, 2021, by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB). The bill, which will take effect on November 7, 2022, is an amendment completing the most recent code revision cycle for the city.

The steel has arrived!

This week, we received a very exciting visitor: Jacinda Collins from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) stopped into the office to present GMS with the 2019 AISC Ideas² Presidential Award for Erection Engineering to Facilitate Adaptive Reuse for our project at the iconic 75 Rockefeller Plaza.

Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001, and we continue to remember and honor the lives lost, the brave responders who fought to save them, and those who helped rebuild at the World Trade Center site.

Last month, Gilsanz Murray Steficek attended the ACEC Coalitions Summer Meeting in Nashville, TN, from August 9-10. As their website states, the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) serves as the voice of the engineering industry throughout the United States and represents thousands of companies, working to strengthen the business environment for their members’ firms through government advocacy, political action, and business education.

From left to right: Robert Rochel, Elliott Seaman, Eddy Wanyonyi, and John Podgorniak

Is the summer really coming to an end already? Time really does fly, especially when you have a group of incredible summer interns!

Last week, our group of interns — who have been with GMS family since June of 2021 — gave their final presentation to the rest of the company to discuss all they have learned and what they have worked on during their months with GMS.

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This summer, we are thrilled to announce the well-deserved promotions of an impressive handful of GMS employees. We are lucky to have cultivated such a bright group of people to be part of the GMS family and are honored to watch them continue to grow. Congratulations to the following employees and thank you for your continued hard work and dedication!

Congratulations to our own Phoebe Wang, GMS structural engineer, for publishing an article within AISC’s Engineering Journal, Second Quarter 2021, Volume 58, No. 2.

We are very happy and proud to announce that Jose Mendoza passed his exam to become an NFRC Certified Simulator!  Jose will receive a National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) number as a Certified Simulator and he will be able to simulate/rate fenestration products. Jose’s name will also appear on the NFRC website as a certified simulator.

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:

Typically by Thanksgiving, we can look back on our CANstruction sculpture competition and know that we have helped to feed our fellow New Yorkers. This year, of course, is different. We cannot build our designs in person, but GMS is still supporting @canstructionny and @CityHarvest online.

CANstruction New York has donated nearly 2 million pounds of food to City Harvest through an annual design/build competition where design professionals compete to design and build giant structures made entirely out of canned foods.  This year because of COVID-19, teams will be competing by fundraising and submitting digital designs of canned food sculptures.

Check back soon to see our digital design, and in the meantime, please donate if you can.

At GMS we are thankful for the continued support of our clients and colleagues, and we look forward to building more structures, facades and canstructions in the future.

Click here to donate.

On Friday, November 6, 2020, GMS Associate Partner Jessica Mandrick, joined several prominent structural engineers to present ASCE 7, Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures at the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) Structural Engineering Summit. NCSEA in partnership with its Member Organizations supports practicing structural engineers to be highly qualified professionals and successful leaders.

817 Broadway and Fotografiska are among this year’s Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award winners from the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

Our work at 817 Broadway included the redevelopment of a 14-story newly landmarked building just south of Union Square, measuring approximately 140,000 sf including one subgrade level.  The redevelopment included an upgraded lobby, restored exterior, common roof deck, new windows, and a retail curtain wall on the ground floors. GMS provided structural engineering and special inspection services for the replacement of the retail storefronts and punched windows on all sides of the building, new lobby and freight entrance, new/upgraded elevators, and a newly accessible roof terrace.

Owner: Taconic Investment Partners

Architect: Studios Architecture

Façade Restoration: Loci Architects

Fotografiska and Owner RFR Realty redeveloped the historic building at 281 Park Avenue South, formerly known as the Church Mission House.  An extensive probe program was coordinated with the Client’s Contractor to investigate the existing conditions and the framing connections in order to convert the office floors to retail/gallery use. The six-story, 45,000 sf building was originally built circa 1900 and is landmarked.

GMS also served as the structural engineer for tenant fit-out for the Swedish organization, Fotografiska International, a photography museum with a café, bookstore, restaurant, and event space.

Architect:    Cetra Ruddy

Eugene Kim, GMS Associate Partner, was inducted as the President-Elect for the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY) for 2020-2021. The ceremony occurred during SEAoNY’s Annual Meeting, held virtually on September 22, 2020.

The Woolworth Tower Residences won this year’s Excellence in Structural Engineering award from the Structural Engineers Association of New York in the category of Forensic Analysis / Renovation / Retrofit / Rehabilitation of Structures.

The Cantilevered Work Platform at 730 Fifth Avenue won this year’s Excellence in Structural Engineering award from the Structural Engineers Association of New York in the category of Other Structures.

GMS is excited to be working with Tishman Speyer, providing Building Envelope Consulting Services for the development of a new condominium residential development at 11 Hoyt Street in Brooklyn.  The building consists of a 57 story tower, approximately 770,000 sf, which rises to a height of over 600 feet with one cellar level below grade, and a green roof above a two–story podium. The tower houses 481 apartments with over 55,000 sf of amenity spaces.

The competing factors governing structural design and dimensioning of reinforced concrete slabs create opportunities for optimizing the cost and performance of reinforced concrete flat-plate slabs. Using a slab prototype from an existing building, this study compares designs using different strengths of reinforcing bars and concrete.

GMS is excited to begin the next phase of the renovations at Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History, as they undergo a $200 million renovation starting now!

Centerbrook Architects, Reich + Petch exhibit designers of Toronto, arup providing mep services and Turner Construction round out the team. When work is completed in 2023, the museum will feature 50 percent more gallery space and new lighting, audio-visual and casework systems. The Peabody will have 15,000 square feet of new galleries across three floors, so visitors will be able to view objects from the collections that have never been exhibited before. Display systems will be designed to make it easy to rotate content and provide new exhibits. Our structural engineering includes the design of the building addition as well as the design of new displays and vitrines.

The GMS team includes Gary Steficek, Jessica Mandrick, Alissa Oelsner, Zoe Champion, Christian Vargas, Lizhong Wang and Miryam Varona Rogel. Image courtesy of Centerbrook Architects and Planners.

For more information, https://www.newhavenbiz.com/article/midnight-at-the-museum-yales-peabody-goes-dark-this-spring-for-a-three-year-200-million

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

During this unprecedented and challenging time, we wanted to reach out and share our current plan for the evolving COVID-19 situation, and how we plan to manage going forward.

Our priority is everyone’s safety and well-being as we continue to deliver on our business obligations with professionalism. While our offices in New York, New Jersey and Los Angeles remain open and accessible for essential personnel, we have encouraged our entire staff to work from home as much as possible. We have implemented remote working protocols that will allow our staff to perform their job functions efficiently, enabling GMS as a whole to move our projects forward minimizing disruption.

Additionally, we will cautiously continue to perform field visits and required inspections, until otherwise directed. We know these visits are critical and time-sensitive, and it is our goal to continue to perform these duties with additional precautions and protective measures in place both for our staff as well as our colleagues.

Finally, we intend to keep all meetings with our team and clients as scheduled, utilizing services such as GoTo, WebEx, Zoom and other services in lieu of face-to-face meetings in accordance with Social Distancing recommendations.

We continue to monitor CDC and Government directives constantly and will evaluate our response to this situation on a daily basis. Should anything change in the plan outlined above, we will send a follow-up to this email with further detail.

Working together and with a strong communication plan in place, we believe we can overcome the challenges of these times. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to any of the GMS partners.

Wishing you all good health, and please stay safe.

GMS Team

GMS joins NYCares in their yearly coat drive campaign. This well-known nonprofit collects new and slightly used coats from all over the city and then distributes them to social service agencies, public schools, transitional housing, and more.

Winter temperatures can be extremely low in NYC and at the same time, the number of people in need is on the rise, so we are extending a hand to those who are the most vulnerable – this is the season to give back.

Thank you to all the staff at GMS, as well as their families and friends who have helped us gather 18 coats! These coats will help children, young adults and adults stay warm this season.

#coatdrive #actsofwarmth #nycares

GMS was honored with a Concrete Industry Board Special Merit Award for Structural Design for the Virgin Hotel project and an Award of Merit – Mixed-Use for Tangram.

Our team is very proud of how each project is turning out.

The Awards Dinner at Marina del Rey, in the Bronx was a fun night of celebration with our industry colleagues and friends.

Congratulations to everyone involved!

Congratulations to our Associate Partner, Jessica Mandrick, on being named one of five 2019 Emerging Leaders by the CTBUH New York Future Leaders Committee.

GMS is proud to have such a committed professional on our team and this award is well-deserved. Jessica started at GMS in 2007 as an engineer and has worked on a broad range of projects. Within our office she advocates for broader internal education programs, wider exposure to different project types and encourages participation in professional organizations. “It is important that engineers see hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes as more than just loads, and consider their societal impact. Engineers are well educated to take a seat at the table in the larger conversation on disaster preparedness, risk tolerance, and infrastructure investment.”

We congratulate Jessica and know this is just one of many honors she will receive throughout her professional life. And we thank her for her contributions to our industry.

The award will be presented during the CTBUH NY Regional Conference Reception on Friday, November 1, 2019 at The Penn Club in New York City.

The IASS 60th Anniversary Symposium (IASS SYMPOSIUM 2019) and 9th International Conference on Textile Composites and Inflatable Structures (STRUCTURAL MEMBRANES 2019) have merged into a joint international conference, FORM and FORCE 2019, aiming to provide a forum for state-of-the-art contributions and fruitful discussion in the broad fields of shell, spatial, tension and inflatable structures. The 2019 conference was held in October in Barcelona, Spain and it covered concepts related to material, design, computation, construction, maintenance, history, environmental impact and sustainability of shell, spatial, tension and inflatable structures in all fields of application.

Miguel Lopez of GMS presented a paper, Lateral Load Resisting Facades, co-authored jointly by the GMS Structural Engineers and Building Envelope consultants Miguel Lopez, Joseph Blanchfield, Philip Murray, David Kazibwe, Carolyn Bai, Ramon Gilsanz. The paper’s abstract follows:

Simple modifications to traditional curtain wall slab anchors allow designers to incorporate a structure’s building envelope system into its lateral system, leading not only to improved structural performance, but a reduction in the building construction’s carbon footprint. This approach of integrating architecture with structural design to optimize building performance and construction embodies the principles of efficiency, economy, and elegance championed by the late Princeton Professor David Billington. In this paper, the potential benefits of utilizing façade members to contribute to the building stiffness is studied by reanalyzing 510 Madison Avenue, a 2012 Class-A steel high-rise office building in Manhattan. The building’s lateral system is comprised of moment and braced frames. The building’s façade is a unitized aluminum curtain wall system that utilizes traditional curtain wall anchors designed to prevent the transfer of loads between the façade and the structure.

GMS Partners Philip Murray,  Ramon Gilsanz and colleagues Zoe Champion and Helena Ariza also attended the conference, noting the networking opportunities and planned workshops to learn about new software applications, among other things. For more information, click here.

Last Tuesday, September 24  SEAoNY celebrated their Annual Meeting of 2019.

Fairfield University and Centerbrook Architects and Planners have shared new images of the #Stags new Convocation Center. Have a first look here  https://fairfieldstags.com/feature/ConvocationCenter

This new 85,000 sf facility will include a 3,500 seat multi-use space for basketball, volleyball or university events and concerts. The seating can be reconfigured to allow two practice courts, or infilled to create an event or dining space. The venue includes a state-of-the-art broadcast and media center, as well as spaces devoted to the student athletes. The GMS team includes: Gary Steficek, Eugene Kim, John Hinchcliffe, Nam Hee Kim, Khaoula Msaaf, Nicolas Gomez, Phoebe Wang, Kristina Zarrella, Juan Escobar, Arkadi Goldin, Irina Goldin and Miryam Varona.

Image courtesy of Centerbrook Architects and Planners

Whether you’re shopping for a home or planning your next vacation stay, take a look at these homes GMS has engineered…

Among GMS’ extensive portfolio, we bring vast experience with single-family residences in New York and throughout the Americas.  Many of our projects are located on inland, mountain and coastal properties including eastern beachfront homes in hurricane prone regions within high velocity wave zones in the flood plain, and pacific beach properties where landslides and earthquakes pose additional hazards.  These homes are constructed using timber, steel, architecturally exposed concrete and extensive glass facades. Contact Phil Murray if you are thinking of building your own dream.

Courtesy of Restoration Hardware

The intersection of Ninth Avenue, Gansevoort Street and Little West 12th Street in Manhattan’s Gansevoort Market Historic District, has been in active use for over 150 years. It has served as an open air market, stables, a meatpacking warehouse and, as possibly it’s most notable incarnation, the home of the much loved bistro, Pastis. It is now the new 90,000 square foot home of Restoration Hardware’s Manhattan flagship.

©Michael Moran OTTO

The Manhattan Class Company (MCC) began 32 years ago as a collective of young actors, writers and directors with the mission of re-defining the NYC theater scene. Finally, after years of renting and relocating, this Off-Broadway non-profit now has a permanent space of their own!

The team at GMS are so saddened to learn that Eugene G. Mui, GMS’s first employee, passed away on June 19, 2019. Eugene’s wisdom and patience helped shape the firm that we have become. He is fondly remembered and will be missed by all who knew him.

We are happy to announce GMS is joining Queer Advocacy and Knowledge Exchange (Qu-AKE) in the 2019 World Pride March on June 30th!

With our sponsorship, we will have 20 GMS employees march with Qu-AKE. Come join us!

The Queer Advocacy and Knowledge Exchange (Qu-AKE) is a national, nonprofit, inclusive network for professionals working in the fields of civil engineering, architecture, urban planning, geosciences and construction. We exist to ensure visibility and protection of LGBTQ+ professionals in our fields, by facilitating networking opportunities, providing a forum for mentorship, and fighting discrimination against members of our community in the workplace.

For more information, email info@qu-ake.org

The partners of GMS are proud to announce the following promotions effective June 1, 2019:

Tele Gonzalez to Principal,

David Hoy, David Shea and Jeff Stratton to Associate Partner,

Mark Beltramello, Aaron Doliber, Carmen Garavi, John Hinchcliffe and Alvaro Martinez to Associate,

Hannah Garfield, Patxi Goicolea, Ruilong Han, Teodor Ispirski and Dana Saba to Project Engineer and

Jean Laurent and Matt Hong to Senior Engineer.

“These promotions are a testament to their hard work and efforts to learn and grow as professionals. We are very happy that they are working with us, and we hope that they will continue to grow with us for many years!”, said Ramon Gilsanz as he made the announcement.

Left to right in back row, Teodor Ispirski, Jeff Stratton, Aaron Doliber, Mark Beltramello, Alvaro Martinez, John Hinchcliffe and in front row: Jean Laurent, Tele Gonzalez, Carmen Garavi, Dana Saba, Hannah Garfield.

We are proud to announce that our founding Partner, Ramon Gilsanz has received the Concrete Industry Foundation’s Humanitarian Fellow Medal Award for 2019. This award celebrates esteemed members of the industry “for dedication to the industry, community, and society (resulting) in outstanding benefit to future generations”.

GMS Partner Karl Rubenacker attended the International Code Council’s Committee Action Hearings in Albuquerque, May 4 and 5 on behalf of the NCSEA existing buildings code advisory committee. These hearings offered code officials, architects, builders, engineers, and other design professionals the opportunity to provide input on proposed code changes to the Group B International Codes® for 2021.

April 24 through 27, 2019 GMS Partners Ramon Gilsanz and Karl Rubenacker, as well as Associate Partners Eugene Kim, Jennifer Lan and Jessica Mandrick will travel to Orlando, Florida to attend this year’s ASCE/SEI Structures Congress.

Jessica will be moderating Innovation in Software and Technology for Structural Engineering (Session 508025), Thursday April 25 at 9.30 AM. Ramon will present on Optimal Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures (496799), Friday April 26 at 1.30 PM. Jennifer will present on Findings from the ATC Mexico City Earthquake Reconnaissance (507867), Friday April 26 at 1.30pm (with Ramon as co-presenter) and Ramon and Karl will present different chapters of the ASCE/SEI Design Guide Alternative Load Path Analysis Guidelines for Disproportionate Collapse (504616), Saturday April 27 at 11am.

On Wednesday April 24, Ramon and Karl will meet with the ASCE Standards Committee on Disproportionate Collapse Mitigation and Jessica will chair the SEI Board Young Professional Committee meeting.

Drop us a line if you will be attending, we would love to have a chance to catch up with you while we are there!

Click here to learn more about the Congress http://www.eventscribe.com/2019/STCONG19/ Or follow on Twitter #Structures19

GMS Partner Achim Hermes will be presenting at the 2nd Annual Design Build Excellence Spring Symposium on Friday, April 26th of this year.

Achim will present on “Building Facade Essentials: Acoustical Design, Implementation, and Quality Assurance” together with AKRF.

Click to learn more and register http://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-design-build-excellence-spring-symposium-registration-59106774955

GMS Partners Joseph Basel, PE and Gary Steficek, PE will travel to Shenzhen, China later this week, for the CTBUH 2019 Tall + Urban Innovation Conference.

Basel will present on The Future of Tall Building Renovation, and Steficek will chair the Jury for the 2019 CTBUH Renovation Awards.

Join GMS Senior Structural Engineer Hannah Garfield, PE, along with architects from Gensler and builders from Structure Tone for a panel discussion at the March Chapter Meeting 3/13 of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Metro NY Chapter. Architectural Metal and Glass: A Powerful Combination will explore a recent project featuring a glass and metal guardrail for a multinational consulting firm’s offices in Midtown Manhattan.

For more information https://lnkd.in/dQ8cNsj

We are happy to welcome John Lantry back to GMS! We look forward to having him work on our work for the NYC School Construction Authority and for the NYC Economic Development Corporation!

ICYMI, or were not able to make it to the Chicago Architecture Center last month, GMS’s Ken Oen, P.E. (second from right) participated on a panel (from the left) with CTBUH‘s Antony Wood,  Mark Anderson, of the John Buck Company, and Benjy Ward, of Gensler  shown here with Lynn Osmond of the CAC (center). http://www.ctbuh.org/Events/CTBUHRelatedEvents/CACBuildingTallLecture/tabid/8117/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Please join GMS’s Associate Partner Ken Oen, P.E. at the presentation and discussion, “Too Big To Fail: Revitalizing Our Iconic Skyscrapers” at the Chicago Architecture Center on November 29, 2018. More information here: https://www.architecture.org/programs-events/detail/too-big-to-fail-revitalizing-our-iconic-skyscrapers/

“My Kingdom for a CAN,” a structure of cans of sardines, designed by engineers and architects at GMS, is on display at Brookfield Place at the 26th annual Canstruction competition. This structure’s 5,076 cans will feed 1,275 New Yorkers.

The Judges in the 2019 Engineering Excellence Awards Competition have selected 529 Broadway for an ACEC New York Gold Award in the category of Structural Systems.

The Judges in the 2019 Engineering Excellence Awards Competition have selected Moise Safra Center for an ACEC New York Gold Award in the category of Structural Systems.

Since the mid-1990s, GMS has been pleased to work with Centerbrook Architects and Planners on a host of ingenious and extraordinary projects. Over the years, our 25 collaborations have included academic and cultural institutions, athletic facilities and sports arenas, places of worship, and private residences. Today, our teamwork continues at Yale University’s Peabody Museum and Greenwich Country Day School.

GMS understands tall buildings. Our engineers and architects are experts in not just the skyscraper’s “bones” (the structure), but its “skin” (the envelope) as well.

On October 22^nd, Achim Hermes will travel to the annual Middle East Conference of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) in Dubai to participate in a panel discussion about “skinning tomorrow’s skyscrapers.”

GMS excels at designing structures to support and house unique shopping environments. From new, ground-up construction to renovation; from white-boxing to full-scale fit-out, we work with a vast array of materials – including architectural concrete, exposed steel, heavy timber, structural glass, plastics and polymers – in order to solve complex interior design challenges.

At GMS, we recognize the importance of being engaged in our professional community through organization membership, peer-networking, and conference participation. Not only does this help us keep abreast of the most current technologies and practices, it also allows us to share our experiences and provide guidance to other professionals. We therefore endeavor to serve as leaders within the community by assuming governing roles in various engineering organizations.

Eaton Hotels is pioneering an ‘interdisciplinary hotel experience’, providing innovative spaces and ‘provocative’ content, food and programming, in an effort to bring social change to the hospitality industry. GMS served as structural engineer for this new brand to establish their first property in the US at 1201 K Street NW in Washington, D.C.

This property is composed of a nine story tower constructed in 1962 with integrated below-grade parking garage and a five story building constructed in 1942. The design involved reinforcement of the upper levels and removal of an existing rooftop pool to accommodate additional suites at the upper level and a new rooftop bar. The building is also equipped with upgraded infrastructure and a new façade.

Originally a printing press in the 1940’s and then a bus station in the 1960’s, it was more recently a Sheraton Four Points hotel. In addition to the 209 hotel rooms, the 175,000 sf property also houses a radio station, a 50 person theater, a coffee shop, restaurant, an indoor/outdoor rooftop bar, a co-working space and a wellness center.

Photo credit: Ola Wilk/Wilk Marketing Communications

GMS provided structural engineering services for the core and shell of a new building of approximately 162,000 sf over 10 stories, plus a full cellar. The building includes a new car showroom with service / repair area at street level, a used-car showroom above, and parking garage below. The upper levels and the roof are designed for residential occupancy. The project is adjacent to the subway line running along Northern Boulevard, so approval of the MTA was required to obtain construction permits.

GMS provided building envelope consulting services for this new 19-story hotel, the tallest modular hotel in the world, with a rooftop bar and lounge. Modules were fabricated in Europe and shipped to the US.

The landmarked and much-loved facade at Pastis was preserved and transformed into a 4 1/2- story modern structure. Stories were added and the cellar was excavated to add an additional 60,000 square feet of space for retail and office use.

This new temple and community center incorporates a pool in the sub-cellar, a wellness center, synagogue lobby and café at the ground level, an auditorium, with balcony, classrooms, offices, a double-story high gymnasium, a banquet room and rooftop play area as well as necessary ancillary spaces.  The building is approximately 170 feet tall and encompasses approximately 65,000 gsf.

GMS is providing building envelope consulting (facades and roofs) for the new 58-story luxury residential condominium at 130 William Street. The facade is comprised of precast concrete wall panels with factory-installed windows.

Gap Inc. has opened its largest site in the world, a 70,000-square-foot location that houses side-by-side Gap and Old Navy flagships in Manhattan’s Times Square. It’s estimated that roughly 450,000 people pass through the area each day, or more than 50 million people per year. Built simultaneously, the two stores occupy most of the massive space that formerly housed the Toys “R” Us flagship, a previous GMS project, which closed at the end of 2015.

For structural steel connections, there are three different ways to show the details on the Structural Engineer’s drawings as defined by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Manual of Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges. This Code provides a “framework for a common understanding of the acceptable standards when contracting for structural steel.” 

GMS is proud to have collaborated on two projects that placed as finalists in this year’s Tall + Urban Innovation awards. 35XV (35 West 15h Street) was recognized in the Best Tall Building category; 56 Leonard Street was recognized in the Best Construction category. The CTBUH Awards recognize projects and individuals that have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment, and that achieve sustainability at the highest and broadest level.

Joe Mugford presented lessons learned from the column transfers designed by GMS for 75 Rockefeller Plaza at the 52^nd annual convention of the Structural Engineers Association of Arizona (SEAoA). The top-to-bottom overhaul of this landmark, built in 1947 includes new double-height glazing and upgraded entry. A reconfigured lobby required the transfer of four existing building columns. 

150 Charles Street has won this year’s AIA Housing Award in the category of Multifamily Housing. These awards, presented by the AIA Housing and Community Development Knowledge Community, emphasize the importance of good housing as a necessity of life, a sanctuary for the human spirit, and a valuable national resource. Overlooking the Hudson River, this building’s design emphasizes direct access to nature while also providing a high quality indoor environmental.

The European men’s fashion line Suitsupply will open its first Boston storefront at the address later this month, and will also operate a ground floor restaurant, Café Susu, at the location. It will be the brand’s 100th store, and the first time that the company has experimented with a cafe. Susu’s customers will have a view of the tailors as they do their alterations.

At GMS, we view active involvement in professional societies as a key way to develop and retain bright young talent. We are proud to have seven employees participating in various ASCE/SEI 7-22 and ASCE/SEI 24-20 committees and subcommittees for the latest code cycles.

Several of our engineers traveled to Fort Worth, TX, to attend the 2018 Structures Congress, where engineers are inspired, connect with leaders in the profession, and learn from experts. The congress is organized annually by the Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

On Sunday April 22, GMS will field a team of 14, along with family and friends, for the 6^th annual 9/11 Memorial & Museum 5k Run/Walk and Community Day in Battery Park City.  The event supports the 9/11 Memorial & Museum as a place to learn the history of 9/11 and honor this National Day of Service and Remembrance.

At this year’s NASCC Steel Conference, organized by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) in Baltimore, the Applied Technology Council (ATC) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) presented modeling techniques, quality assurance techniques, challenges and engineering decisions involved in the recent blind prediction contest held to advance knowledge on design and modelling of deep wide-flange columns.

The Urban Land Institute (New York) has awarded this year’s Excellence in Mixed Use Development to 252 East 57th Street. GMS provided façade and roofing consulting services for this new 56-story building on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

700 consulting engineers and clients attended the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York’s (ACEC New York) 51st annual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala in New York. The ACEC Engineering Excellence awards recognize the skills and innovation of New York’s consulting engineering firms. 

Jennifer Lan was a panelist on an EERI Technical Case Studies Webinar, during which speakers who conducted reconnaissance following the September 19, 2017 Puebla-Morelos earthquake presented geotechnical and structural case studies. Jennifer’s presentation described the reconnaissance methodology and provided an in-depth analysis of building performance, using two buildings that were damaged during the earthquake as case studies.

Ramon Gilsanz presented at the Structural Engineering Talks in Austin, TX. This event hosts speakers with atypical, non-technical presentations that are lively, philosophical, inspirational, thought-provoking, and/or make engineers re-think the approach to structural engineering.

Ramon Gilsanz, Cathy Huang and Joshua Peng attended committee meetings at this year’s American Concrete Institute (ACI) Concrete Convention and Exposition in Salt Lake City, UT. The convention provides the industry with a professional environment where individuals from across the globe come together to share new ideas and discover innovative ways to use concrete.

Ramon Gilsanz, Jennifer Lan, and Eugene Kim attended several committee meetings in Denver, CO, to help develop building design standards for the upcoming 2022 edition of ASCE/SEI 7 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. Standard ASCE/SEI 7 is an integral part of building codes in the United States and is adopted by reference into the International Building Code, the International Existing Building Code, the International Residential Code, and the NFPA 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code.

The Partners of Gilsanz Murray Steficek are very happy to announce the following promotions:
Eugene Kim, Jennifer Lan, Ken Oen, Jessica Mandrick and Joe Mugford to Associate Partner and Andrew Dolan and Virginia Diaz Taibo to Associate. We are proud that they are on our team and we greatly appreciate their leadership, dedication and technical excellence.

Best wishes for a happy holiday season and a healthy, prosperous New Year!
— from all of us at GMS

Flatiron Reflection by Future Expansion is the 2017 winning design for the Flatiron Holiday Design Competition, a collaboration of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership and the Van Alen Institute. GMS is proud to work with Future Expansion and The New Motor, to deliver this holiday gift to our neighbors. Special thanks to GMS team members Cathy Huang, Amanda Eldridge, Isaac Epstein, Dana Saba and Bryan Torres. Photography courtesy of ©Noah Kalina

Please visit Flatiron Plaza at East 23rd Street & Broadway, New York, now until January 1, 2018.

75 Rockefeller Plaza received an Honorable Mention in the 2017 Reconstruction Awards. One of the longest-running reconstruction project awards programs (34 years), BD+C’s Reconstruction Awards honor the nation’s best historic preservation, adaptive reuse, renovation, and reconstruction projects, based on overall design, engineering, and construction project quality.

The Judges in the 2018 Engineering Excellence Awards Competition have selected the 75 Rockefeller Plaza for an ACEC New York Platinum Award in the category of Structural Systems.

The Judges in the 2018 Engineering Excellence Awards Competition have selected the Southern Connecticut State University’s Academic Science and Laboratory Building for an ACEC New York Gold Award in the category of Structural Systems.

“Snorlax the Sleeping PoCANmon,” a structure of cans of tuna fish, designed by engineers and architects at GMS, is on display at Brooklfield Place at the 25th annual Canstruction competition.

On Friday, the members of the ATC reconnaissance team reviewed their individual observations. Specific buildings were also identified for ongoing monitoring.<!–more–>

Having reached out to local engineers, building owners and residents, the team received helpful information about the earthquake itself, as well as the consequent building performance. Some residents invited our team members into their apartments to see the damage in person. The 9/19/17 earthquake caused structural damage — damage to buildings — precipitating 44 collapses. Many buildings also experienced non-structural structural damage (i.e. the shaking of contents within the buildings), or damage caused by geotechnical failure.

On this day, Laura Hernandez also assisted University at Buffalo Professor, Andreas Stavridis, with the instrumented inspection and measurement of a damaged building. Prof. Stavridis, member of the ATC team, conducted instrumented investigations of one building each day throughout this reconnaissance trip.

On Thursday Laura’s team continued its route around the southern neighborhoods. They continuously saw buildings with nonstructural masonry infill walls that seemed to have acted as lateral resisting elements, evident by the in-plane damage.

On Wednesday, the ATC reconnaissance team sub-groups were rearranged. Ramon and Jennifer’s group visited the Condesa neighborhood in the northern part of the city. Here the team assessed two buildings, one of which suffered some damage, and the other nearly none. Another group, including Laura Hernandez, focused on the southern area of Mexico City where they saw several structures with distinct damage

GMS engineers and the other members of the Applied Technology Council (ATC) reconnaissance team arrived in Mexico City and coordinated their plan of action to study the effects of the 9/19/2017 earthquake on building structures. The first morning, they met at the WSP office to organize the reconnaissance for that day. In order to maximize the use of the researchers’ time, the team was divided into three smaller groups. Each went to a different section in the city to evaluate damage.

GMS engineers departed for Mexico City on Monday to be joined by remaining members of the Applied Technology Council (ATC) reconnaissance team reviewing the aftermath of the 9/19/2017 earthquake. The goal of this reconnaissance mission is to perform detailed assessments of reinforced concrete structures with all levels of damage. The reconnaissance will focus on identifying the likely cause of collapse in concrete buildings that performed poorly, and the likely cause of good performance in non-collapsed buildings in the immediate vicinity.

Mexico is one of the world’s most seismically active regions, sitting atop several intersecting tectonic plates. On September 19, 2017, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit the Greater Mexico City area killing 370 people and collapsing 40 buildings. The quake occurred on the 32nd anniversary of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, which killed around 10,000 people. The 1985 quake was commemorated, and a national earthquake drill was held, at 11 a.m. local time, just two hours before the 2017 earthquake. Twelve days earlier, the even larger 2017 Chiapas earthquake struck 400 miles away, off the coast of the state of Chiapas.

In support of ongoing U.S. Government-funded research and development projects in earthquake engineering, the Applied Technology Council (ATC) Endowment Fund is sponsoring a team of experts to investigate the performance of buildings in Mexico City following the event.

GMS provided structural engineering services for this 440,000 SF interior renovation and re-stack of 9 floors in the McGraw-Hill Building at 1221 Avenue of the Americas. Project included structural modifications and reinforcement for a monumental stairway, health club, full service kitchen and dining area, UPS and data center, as well as roof dunnage and shaft openings for new HVAC equipment.

This new 6-story commercial building in the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District replaces a two-story taxpayer building. The new steel framed structure, designed by BKSK Architects, features a terra cotta rain screen and glass curtain wall facade system that transitions along the building perimeter from punched windows representative of an earlier masonry era, to a more open open frame emblematic of SoHo’s later cast-iron era. The entire 52,000 square foot building is leased by Nike. According to the New York Times, “design fans should soon be recognizing it as one of the most exciting and intelligent structures to be built for decades, anywhere.”

New development is an infrequent occurrence in the East 20s, but from 121 East 22nd Street through to 122 East 23rd Street, Toll Brothers City Living is almost finished on their latest project, designed by the Office of Metropolitan Architecture. GMS is providing exterior envelope consulting services for this new mid-rise residential condominium building.

The Woolworth building will be the first “Building of the Day” celebrating this year’s Archtober. Archtober (ärk’tōbər) is New York City’s Architecture and Design Month, the annual festival of architecture tours, lectures, films, and exhibitions taking place during October.

There are approximately 50,000 buildings on the 22.8 square mile island of Manhattan and the majority of construction occurs in densely built areas only a few feet from occupied buildings. When your neighbor builds or renovates, there may be residual effects on your property.

Jonathan Hernandez, GMS Partner, was inducted as the President-Elect for the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY) for 2017-2018. The ceremony occurred during SEAoNY’s Annual Meeting, held at the Center For Architecture in New York on September 14, 2017.<!–more–>

The purpose of SEAoNY is to advance the art of structural engineering in New York by improving the flow of ideas and building the community of colleagues. SEAoNY also reaches out to other professionals, outside the engineering community, who work in related fields with common interests. The association sponsors workshops, panel discussions, lectures and seminars with the aim of addressing topics of interest and concern to structural engineers. SEAoNY is a member organization of the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA). Jonathan is also a member of the NCSEA Board of Directors.

In buildings, Mass Concrete is frequently used for mat foundations, blast resistant walls, transfer girders or deep beams. However, there are no hard and fast rules to determine if your concrete element qualifies.

GMS engineers and inspectors refreshed their knowledge of welding and bolting inspection procedures at a seminar led by Albert Wong, senior inspector at GMS. The lecture covered types of bolts, welds, connections, and failures, as well as inspection requirements for maintaining quality control of construction.

In the past few weeks, FIVE of our colleagues celebrated a work anniversary at GMS.

Many thanks to Juan Escobar, Carl Zanier, Tim Barnard, partner Joe Basel, and Ken Chu for their hard work and creativity over the last 20 years.

Each has helped form our firm and nurture our next generation of structural engineers.

Thank you!

For over a decade, GMS has served as the Woolworth Building’s structural engineer. Presently, the upper portion of this landmark (30th Floor-60th Floor) is being converted to residential apartments designed by Thierry Despont.

GMS is very proud to recognize our engineers who have successfully attained their Professional Engineer (PE) licenses this summer: (photo from left) Carolyn Bai, PE, Isaac Epstein, PE, Sanaz Saadat, PhD, PE, Daniel Gleave, PE, and Akbar Mahvashmohammadi, PhD, PE.

GMS is again sponsoring the ACE Greater New York Mentor Program. Our staff serve as mentors to three teams of high school students to expose them to careers in Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE). GMS staff have proudly participated in the ACE Mentoring Program within the greater New York City region, the founding affiliate of this national organization, since 2006.

Construction is underway at Tangram Plaza (formerly known as Two Fulton Square) in downtown Flushing, Queens. The 1.2 million square foot mixed-use complex consist of four towers that sit atop a common podium.

The largest of its stores globally, Adidas’ new North American flagship at 565 Fifth Avenue in New York City spans four floors, including a lower level,  and occupies approximately 45,000 sf. The overall design was conceived with the theme of sports and high school stadiums. In particular, the entry tunnel, reminiscent of a stadium entry, is made up almost entirely of glass with some stainless steel hardware and connectors; this load bearing glass structure at street level includes a glass ceiling and glass walls. The previous storefront was replaced with new glass panels spanning over 16 feet, supported only at the base and the head.

In our last issue, we showed you the exterior of 529 Broadway, the new building at Broadway and Spring Street in NYC’s Soho neighborhood, designed by BKSK Architects. Now we want to show you the interior fit-out, Nike’s new five story 55,000 square foot retail experience, with accessory office space and a roof terrace, designed by Nike with TPG Architecture.

One of this year’s merit awards for Architecture has been given to SculptureCenter, an arts facility located in a former trolley repair shop in Long Island City. The new addition and renovation were completed in October 2014.

Several of our engineers ventured to Denver, CO, to present their papers, studies and projects at this year’s Structures Congress. The congress is organized annually by the Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Every year, the American Institute of Architects partners with the American Library Association/Library Leadership and Management Association to honor the best in library architecture and design across the nation. The AIA/ALA Library Building Award is the only award that recognizes entire library structures and all aspects of their design. One of this year’s eight awards was bestowed upon Stapleton Library for its reconstruction and new addition.

Monroe College celebrated the topping out of the West Hall dormitory on March 21, 2014.

As the New York Times points out, in the Financial District, there is a pedestrian bridge to nowhere …for the moment, at least. The footbridge over Trinity Place between Rector and Thames Streets used to connect Trinity Church to the parish house, which was demolished last August.

The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute’s (EERI) mission is to reduce earthquake risk by advancing the science and practice of earthquake engineering; improving understanding of the impact of earthquakes on the physical, social, economic, political, and cultural environment; and advocating comprehensive and realistic measures for reducing the harmful effects of earthquakes.

This new 6-story commercial building in the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District replaces a two-story taxpayer building. The new steel framed structure, designed by BKSK Architects, features a terra cotta rain screen and glass curtain wall facade system that transitions along the building perimeter from punched windows representative of an earlier masonry era, to a more open open frame emblematic of SoHo’s later cast-iron era. The entire 52,000 square foot building is leased by Nike. Photo above ©Chris Payne/Esto

252 East 57th Street is a 60-story luxury mixed-use tower in Midtown Manhattan. The building’s residential program is organized with 173 rental units on the lower floors and 93 high-end, two- to five-bedroom condominiums on the 26th floor and above. Residential amenities include elegant porte cochère, automated parking, a double-height residents’ lounge, and a private spa with a 75-foot indoor swimming pool. The commercial component of the development includes retail and a public school.

75 Rockefeller Plaza is a landmarked 34-story steel moment frame building constructed in 1947 for Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company. It is situated in the heart of Rockefeller Center on 51st Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Midtown Manhattan. It totals 623,000 square feet, with typical floor size ranging from 14,000 – 30,000 square feet.

In October 2016, Gensler relocated over 600 employees to 1700 Broadway between 53^rd and 54^th Streets in New York’s Theater District. Their new space includes the second through sixth floors, providing a total of 120,000 square feet of office area. This new workplace is designed around Gensler’s workplace research, and incorporates an abundance of amenities, conference rooms and specialized meeting areas.

The 16th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, organized by the International Association of Earthquake Engineering took place from 9th January to the 13th January 2017 in Santiago, Chile. The conference covered engineering seismology, tsunamis, geotechnical earthquake engineering, design of new structures, assessment and retrofitting of existing structures, infrastructure and lifeline systems, preparedness and emergency management of large earthquakes, as well as social and economic aspects, and urban risk assessment.

GMS Associate Jessica Mandrick wrote an opinion in the STRUCTURE magazine column, Structural Forum.

Natural disasters devastate communities, destroy structures, halt livelihoods, and take lives. With each event, engineers aim to improve our practices to lessen the impact of future incidents. Reconnaissance trips following natural or manmade disasters can provide a valuable education.

The Judges in the 2016 Engineering Excellence Awards Competition have selected American Physical Society for a 2017 ACEC New York Diamond Award in the category of Structural Systems.

The Judges in the 2016 Engineering Excellence Awards Competition have selected Porcelanosa for a 2017 ACEC New York Platinum Award in the category of Structural Systems.

“Tales of Our Time” brings together a diverse group of younger artists to offer a broader view of the next wave in Chinese contemporary art. The artists examine conditions in contemporary China through approaches that often blur the distinction between fact and fiction. Employing media from ink painting to animatronics, they conceive of China more as a concept than as an identity, eschewing easy associations and symbols.

CANctuary, a structure of cans of tuna fish, designed by engineers and architects at GMS and currently on view at Brookfield Place, as won the Cheri Award of the 24th annual Canstruction competition.

Canstruction is an international charity competition where 26 teams of architects, engineers, contractors and the students they mentor, competed this year to design and build giant structures made entirely from cans of food. At the close of the competition all of the food from the New York City competition will be donated to City Harvest.

On October 18, 2016, Ramon Gilsanz of GMS presented to the members of the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY) about global trends in earthquake design and resilience.

The lecture looked at common features of buildings in a variety of regions across the world which are prone to earthquakes. Such features include weak ground stories, considerations for adding new floors, alterations and enlargement of existing buildings and the potential for soil failures like liquefaction and lateral spreading. Using his experience from earthquake reconnaissance trips to Chile, Virginia, Greece, Taiwan and Ecuador, Mr. Gilsanz then discussed the impact of resilience in structures, specifically how to apply lessons from other cultures to improve the built environment here in New York City. He concluded with a review of the NYC Building Code provisions for resilience.

On the evening of April 16th, 2016, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck northern Ecuador, offshore from its west coast. The event drew the attention of the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association, due to the several hundred casualties, tens of thousands homeless, and destruction along the west coast, with evidence of severe ground motions and geotechnical failures.

Jessica Mandrick presented at the SEAOC Technical Session on the recent Taiwan Meinong earthquake.

Jessica Mandrick, SE presented fifth in the Session titled Learning from the 2014 South Napa and 2016 Tainan Earthquakes during the 2016 Annual Conference of the Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC), October 12-15 in Ka’anapali Beach, Maui. The focus of this session was to highlight the lessons learned during the GMS and USGS reconnaissance trip to Tainan, which took place in February 2016 in collaboration with EERI, ATC, and NCREE. The team visited the city of Tainan and its vicinity to survey, study, and document damage and site-related observations from the recent 6.4 Meinong Earthquake. The focus of the paper/presentation included observed design and construction issues as well as the societal response to the earthquake.

Samsung 837 and Zaha Hadid’s 520 West 28th Street will be featured in this year’s Archtober. Archtober (ärk’tōbər) is New York City’s Architecture and Design Month, the fifth annual month-long festival of architecture activities, programs and exhibitions taking place during the month of October.

A dramatic retail newcomer of cubic proportions has come to Midtown Manhattan’s 42nd Street commercial corridor.

GMS is very excited to announce that we are now a continuing education provider in The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System.

Our first course, Understanding Resilience through a Musical Analogy can be presented in person by Ramon Gilsanz, author of the STRUCTURE magazine article upon which this presentation is based. The course is accredited for 1 Learning Unit of Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW)-related training (1LU/HSW).

Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) in New Haven, CT, has greatly expanded their science programming with the opening of the 103,608 square foot Academic Science and Laboratory Science Building in August 2015.

GMS provided consulting services for the facades and roofing of this new mixed-use and mixed design building at the eastern edge of Chelsea in New York City, 35 West 15th Street. A granite-clad base houses 35,000 sf over six floors of classrooms and a half-court gym for the high school.

GMS is proud to announce that Associate Jessica Mandrick (photo center) is now a registered Structural Engineer in California! Jessica is an active member of the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute’s Young Professionals Committee and serves on the editorial board of STRUCTURE magazine.

We would also like to congratulate several of our engineers for successfully attaining their Professional Engineer (PE) licenses: (photo from left) Ana Gallego, PE, Scott Sternad, PE, Jeff Knecht, PE, Alissa Oelsner, PE.

Porcelanosa won this year’s Excellence in Structural Engineering award from the Structural Engineers Association of New York in the category of Forensic Analysis / Renovation / Retrofit / Rehabilitation of Structures.

Ramon Gilsanz represented GMS at the first International Conference on Natural Hazards and Infrastructure (ICONHIC) on June 28-30 2016 in Chania, Greece.

Joe Mugford and Cathy Huang represented GMS at the 16^th US-Japan-New Zealand Workshop on the Improvement of Structural Engineering and Resiliency, which took place in Nara, Japan on June 27-29 2016. At the conference, GMS presented findings from the post-disaster reconnaissance of the recent Kaohsiung/Meinong earthquake in Taiwan.

Ramon Gilsanz and Akbar Mahvashmohammadi attended the Eighth International Workshop on Connections in Steel Structures (Connections VIII). Researchers, designers, fabricators and steel industry representatives gathered in Boston on May 24-26, 2016 to collaborate and share knowledge within the areas of strength, behavior, fabrication and design of connections for structural steel and composite steel/concrete frames.

GMS participated in the Center for Architecture Foundation’s annual drawing competition and benefit.

GMS collaborated with Gensler on a concept design of a new system for New York City construction sheds. This design was one of four winning entries in a competition organized by the New York Building Congress.

From 4/17 to 4/27, the International Code Council (ICC) convened the 2016 Committee Action Hearings in Louisville, KY to review the International Building Code (IBC), and other International Codes. On behalf of the Structural Engineers Association of New York, Karl Rubenacker, co-chair of SEAoNY’s Codes and Standards Committee and partner at GMS, presented 7 proposals for revisions to structural design provisions (chapter 16) of the 2015 IBC. If adopted, these proposals would be incorporated into the 2018 IBC. Proposals included revisions to regulations regarding construction documents, load combinations, live loads, special inspections, as well as an entire new section on structural peer review.

On Saturday, April 16, 2016 a massive magnitude-7.8 earthquake rocked Muisne, Ecuador, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). GMS’s Ramon Gilsanz and Virginia Diaz traveled to Ecuador to help in relief efforts, assist other rescuers and collect data on the performance of structures during the event. The reconnaissance trip was coordinated by Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance Association (GEER), sponsored by the National Science Foundation, with additional support from the Applied Technology Council (ATC).

Earlier this week, Gary Steficek, founding partner of Gilsanz Murray Steficek, spoke at the 6th annual IUAV International Conference on Tall Buildings in Milan. The program was divided into two sessions, one on new technologies and a second on new uses for existing tall buildings. His presentation, “Reinventing Woolworth: Adaptive Reuse of an Historic Skyscraper,” was part of the Existing Structures Session.

GMS is again sponsoring the ACE Greater New York Mentor Program Team #6 (Manhattan) and Team #35 (Long Island). Our staff serve as mentors to high school students to expose them to careers in Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE). GMS staff have proudly participated in the ACE Mentoring Program within the greater New York City region, the founding affiliate of this national organization, since 2006.

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) has awarded the American Physical Society’s headquarters expansion project this year’s IDEAS² Award for projects less than $15 million. This program recognizes projects where structural steel has been utilized in an innovative manner.

The new Virgin Hotel New York broke ground last fall and construction is on track for opening in 2018. This 39-story, tower will occupy the full block between 29^th and 30^th Streets along the west side of Broadway in NoMad (north of Madison Square), Manhattan, halfway between Herald Square and Madison Square in the Flatiron district.

The Partners of Gilsanz Murray Steficek are pleased to announce our 2016 promotions.

Achim Hermes, PE has been promoted to Partner, joining Joe Blanchfield and Susanne Mackiw to lead our Building Envelope team. He specializes in curtain wall and window consulting including involvement in all phases of design and construction. Achim has worked on a wide range of projects, both new construction and renovation, including new curtainwalls for the Pierhouse at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, 150 Charles Street and the office building at 510 Madison Avenue.

Jose Mendoza has been promoted to Associate. Jose has worked with our Building Envelope team since 2006 after obtaining his Architecture degree from the University of Sevilla and working in Spain. He specializes in façade investigation, curtain wall and window consulting through all phases of design and construction. His projects include the new JetBlue Terminal at JFK and One Jackson Square residences in Greenwich Village.

On March 10th, the New York-Northeast Chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) and the Deep Foundations Institute’s (DFI) Women in Deep Foundations Technical Committee co-hosted a Reception and Panel Discussion on Professional Women in the World of Construction.

Last month a team including Gilsanz Murray Steficek (GMS) engineers Ramon Gilsanz, Cathy Huang, Jessica Mandrick and Joe Mugford, Cerea Steficek from the Earth Sciences department at Northeastern University and Mehmet Celebi from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) accompanied by Sheng-Jhih Jhuang from the National Center of Research for Earthquake Engineering in Taiwan (NCREE) visited the earthquake stricken city of Tainan and vicinity to survey, study and document damage and site-related observations from the recent 6.4 Meinong Earthquake. GMS coordinated this effort with the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), and the Applied Technology Council (ATC).

Ramon Gilsanz, Phil Murray, Jonathan Hernandez, Jessica Mandrick, Sanaz Saadat, Joshua Peng, Mark Beltramello and John Hinchcliffe attended the 2016 Geotechnical and Structural Engineering Congress in Phoenix, Arizona. This unique Congress was a joint endeavor of two sectors within the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Geotechnical Institute (G-I) and Structural Engineering Institute (SEI).

At the annual Organizational Board meeting on January 29, 2016, the Applied Technology Council (ATC) Board of Directors elected officers for the Year 2016. Ms. Victoria Arbitrio of Gilsanz Murray Steficek LLP, New York City, New York, was elected President. During her five years on the Board, Vicki has served as Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President, and on numerous ATC Board Committees.

After a 22-year absence, upscale retailer, Barneys, is making a comeback in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. This stair is just one part of a four-story renovation project by Barneys in Chelsea. Watch a time-lapse of the construction process.

The US Resiliency Council has launched the USRC Earthquake Building Rating System. The Rating System assigns one to five stars for three performance measures—Safety, Damage (repair cost) and Recovery (time to regain basic function). This first-of-its-kind performance rating is based on decades of earthquake engineering research and observations of earthquake damage. GMS staff members Ramon Gilsanz, Karl Rubenacker, Joseph Mugford and Jennifer Lan have been certified as USRC raters. Ramon and Karl are also certified as USRC reviewers.

The New York Design Awards celebrate creativity, courage and innovation in design from the perspective of both creator and commissioner. The awards provide a distinctive opportunity for all sectors of the industry to participate across an extensive range of categories and achieve marketplace recognition. GMS projects received Gold Awards in various categories.

On November 20, the NY Northeast chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) organized a trip to New York City for students from SUNY Buffalo. GMS was pleased to host the group at our office for an afternoon of insights into the structural engineering profession, innovative project case studies, and a session of “speed interviews” to help these students hone in on their career options.

The two-day excursion was organized in collaboration with Mueser Rutledge and also included a tour of the United States Tennis Association in Flushing, Queens, and the World Trade Center Memorial in Manhattan.

Congratulations to several of GMS’s newest members on their successful Structure-Quest competition on Saturday! GMS engineers Itay, Paola, Adela, Daniel and Ricardo are shown here with their 3^rd place medals in front of Cooper Union.  They teamed with students from NYU.

GMS unveiled the Magic 8 Ball at Brookfield Place for the 23rd annual Canstruction competition. The sculpture has received this year’s honorable mention award.

The Judges in the 2016 Engineering Excellence Awards Competition have selected The Cubes for a 2016 ACEC New York Gold Award in the category of Structural Systems.

The Judges in the 2016 Engineering Excellence Awards Competition have selected 150 Charles Street for a 2016 ACEC New York Gold Award in the category of Structural Systems.

520 West 28th Street

Zaha Hadid and Related Companies’ new residential building adjacent to the High Line has been in the news over the past few weeks. The condominium will have 39 residences, automated underground parking and a wide range of amenities including a 2,500-square-foot planted sculpture terrace.

To complement this year’s conference in New York of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, the CTBUH Journal has published a case study of the redevelopment work that GMS is undertaking with Alchemy Properties and SLCE Architects at the Woolworth Building.

Microsoft has unveiled its new flagship store on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue between 53rd and 54rth Streets, the high-end retail destination for both tourists and locals.

On October 26, 2015, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology held a Rapid-Fire Conference to celebrate the accomplishments of Professor Eduardo Kausel over 40 years in MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The “Rapid-Fire Conference @MIT” was a day full of enlightening talks and intellectual discourse on important engineering and scientific issues of our times. The occasion sought to bring together colleagues Prof. Kausel had met in the academic community throughout the years that had influenced his own work.

Three GMS staff members have been elected to various offices in the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations, the Structural Engineers Association of New York, and Structure Magazine.

SculptureCenter and the carousel enclosure at the Staten Island Zoo will be featured in this year’s Archtober. Archtober (ärk’tōbər) is New York City’s Architecture and Design Month, the fifth annual month-long festival of architecture activities, programs and exhibitions taking place during the month of October. Through special tours, lectures and exhibitions, Archtober raises awareness of the important role of design in our city and to build a lasting civic and international recognition of the richness of New York’s built environment.

On Saturday 10/17 and Sunday 10/18, the Annual Open House New York Weekend will unlock the doors of New York’s most important buildings, offering an extraordinary opportunity to experience the city and meet the people who design, build, and preserve New York.  From historical to contemporary, residential to industrial, hundreds of sites across the five boroughs are open to visit, with tours, talks, performances, and other special events taking place over the course of OHNY Weekend. Through the unparalleled access that it enables, OHNY Weekend deepens our understanding of the importance of architecture and urban design to foster a more vibrant civic life, and helps catalyze a citywide conversation about how to build a better New York.

Each year, NCSEA awards the Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards. This program annually highlights some of the best examples of structural engineering ingenuity throughout the world. “The Cubes” received this year’s award for New Buildings $10-$30 million.

Fast-paced construction within a dense urban environment like New York City has several distinctive rationales, approaches, constraints, and requirements for careful coordination.

Go Strikers! GMS is proud of its soccer team for winning a “Play for your Cause” charity award this Spring 2015 season.

Gilsanz Murray Steficek is proud that our Partner, Susanne Mackiw, AIA has been inducted to the NAPW VIP Woman of the Year Circle and featured in the June 2015 Member Spotlight!

150 Charles Street

GMS provided the structural design and structural special inspections and also provided architectural assistance in developing façade/building envelope design details for the 16 story multi-use project. The enclosure is designed as a metal and glass curtain wall beginning above the existing 4-story warehouse. The building aims for LEED gold certification.

“High Rise by the High Line” has been published in Concrete International. This article presents  a case study of of Avalon West Chelsea, a new 588,000 SF, “L-shaped” multi-family residential development located in the prime Chelsea Arts District of Manhattan, New York. 

Ramon Gilsanz was interviewed by the History Channel for their series Engineering Disasters.

Every year the ASCE Metropolitan Section Structures Group hosts a four evening Seminar that focuses on the most interesting construction projects and structural engineering topics.
GMS staff gave several presentations at this year’s seminar.

120 West 42nd Street has been selected as a finalist in this years Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards organized by the Structural Engineers Association of New York.

Several of our engineers ventured to Portland, OR, last week to present their papers, studies and cases at the 2015 Structures Congress. This congress is organized by the Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The Applied Technology Council (ATC) was created by practicing professionals with the intent of serving the evolving needs of engineering practice.

On April 30th, the SculptureCenter and Tavern on the Green will be awarded the 25th Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards.The Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards are the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s highest honors for outstanding preservation. The Conservancy has been a leader in preserving, restoring, and reusing New York City’s wonderful architectural legacy for over 40 years.

We are pleased to announce the following promotions to our firm’s leadership team!

The luxury residential development at 150 Charles Street in Manhattan’s West Village is nearing completion. 98 condominium units with estimated asking prices ranging from $4-$40 million (or approximately $7,000 per square foot) comprise the 300,000 square-foot building, situated on an acre lot. The project incorporates the structure of the existing 4-story Whitehall warehouse for the lower podium floors. Above, two towers are joined by a middle volume and cascade down to the Hudson River, allowing for spectacular views.

QLIC, the residential development at Queens Plaza North between 23rd and 24th Streets in Long Island City, is almost finished. The 21-story tower holds 421 rental units, double-height retail at grade and parking below grade. The building’s 28,000 SF of amenity space includes a rooftop pool, cabanas, a roof deck with an open-air theater and barbecue, a landscaped courtyard with a fire pit, media lounge, game room, fitness center, and other amenities on an occupied terrace.

Envisioned as a hub where students, faculty, researchers, and civic organizations can work creatively and collaboratively towards common goals in educational advancement, the Herb Alpert Educational Village will be anchored by New Roads School, a culturally and economically diverse, independent, non-profit, pre-K-12 college preparatory school located in Santa Monica, CA.

SculptureCenter is featured in this month’s issue of Architect magazine.

Last night, the GMS Strikers won the ZogSports winter soccer championship!  Our team played two games last night to clinch the top spot. After losing our previous game against the Raging Sloth’s, we came back with vengeance to win 5-2. Our second game versus Band of Misfits was a close call but was secured with last quarter goals by Jeff and Harrison. As winners of the championship, our charity, SEAoNY, will receive $1,500. Congratulations to the victorious Strikers!

Seismologists, earthquake engineers and seismic code experts understand the science of earth that moves and the structures built on it, but many of the concepts involved may be too abstract for architects, builders and the public. This article offers an analogy to help explain seismic design and presents three different construction techniques used in Chile, Japan and the United States that counter an earthquake’s effects.

Two major earthquakes hit the Cephalonia Island of Greece on January 26th and February 3rd of 2014. An extensive United States (U.S.) reconnaissance mission was mobilized to document the post-earthquake condition of several two and three story reinforced concrete (RC) structures that were designed according to the local seismic code.

The New World Center indeed creates a new world of music and light, and is right at home in South Beach. The 100,641-sq.-ft facility is the new state-of-the-art home of Miami’s New World Symphony and was constructed as part of the City Center Redevelopment Project in a public/private partnership with Miami Dade County and the City of Miami Beach.

The Staten Island Zoo carousel, one component of a much larger redesign of the Children’s Zoo, has been selected by Interior Design Magazine as a finalist in the Outdoor category of the 2015 Best of Year Awards.

Louis Vuitton’s store at 1 East 57th Street has a brand new look. The Fifth Avenue entrance lobby of this flagship location has been expanded, and features a new canopy along with full-height showcase windows. The previous “wonder wall” has been reclad with stone clad aluminum honeycomb panel assemblies with integral light pockets and display vitrines.

The School of Dental Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook has received a Commendation for Healthcare in the 2014 AIA/LIC Archi Awards. This 2,900 SF steel frame and metal deck addition to Sullivan Hall includes a 36-seat training facility and x-ray room. Structural work also incorporated a new canopy and glass entrance storefront.

The Judges in the 2015 Engineering Excellence Awards Competition have selected Avalon West Chelsea for a 2015 ACEC New York Platinum Award in the category of Structural Systems.

The Judges in the 2015 Engineering Excellence Awards Competition have selected 837 Washington for a 2015 ACEC New York Gold Award in the category of Structural Systems.

GMS is honored to receive this year’s Best Use of Labels award for “StaTUNA of Liberty,” its submission to the 22nd annual Canstruction competition!

By Jessica Mandrick, P.E., LEED AP and JasonMcCormick, PhD., with the SEI Young Professionals Committee

As current leaders in structural engineering approach the end of their careers, it is increasingly important that young professionals take active measures to step into leadership roles. Leadership transition plays a vital role in the profession, but always brings with it challenges that differ from those of past generations. This article highlights select challenges identified by the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute’s Young Professionals Committee.

The reason we became engineers and technical architects is that we love to make things better – we learn how things work, take things apart and fix them! So a trip to the factory to see how things that we have designed are actually being constructed is always exciting. For a recent project, we did just that.

Situated across the street from the High Line Park, 837 Washington Street is a six-story office and retail development designed by Morris Adjmi Architects and built by Sciame Construction for Thor Equities and Taconic Investment Partners. Gilsanz Murray Steficek (GMS), which served as structural design engineer, was intensely involved in the construction phase and provided special inspection services including steel erection and structural safety. The building is a new torquing tower that rises out of an existing two-story Art Moderne style brick warehouse built in 1938, which was once part of the Gansevoort Market.

QLIC 41-42 24 Street

The residential development at Queens Plaza North between 23rd and 24th Street in Long Island City has topped out. GMS is providing structural engineering and building envelope services for this new, 319,000 sf, twenty-one story high residential building.

Several award-winning GMS projects are being spotlighted this year on Archtober’s “Building of the Day” tours, including Stapleton Library, Tavern on the Green and Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at JFK.

GMS provided structural engineering services for the office renovations on the Ground, Second, Third, Fourth and Basement levels at 110 East 25th Street. This included structural design for two new mechanical mezzanines, framing design for new glass skylights through the sloped roof at the rear of the ground floor, framing design to close off an existing stairwell opening, and framing design for miscellaneous slab openings and floor penetrations. GMS also reviewed the support and design for the new metal framed ground floor public seating area.

Over the past few months, GMS has participated in reconnaissance after the sequence of Magnitude M5.2 and M5.7 earthquakes that occurred in the Ionian Island of Cephalonia earlier this year. The Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance Association has released the report of its findings.

Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) has opened its biggest store to date, in Manhattan’s 589 Fifth Avenue at 48th Street, an existing 1950s vintage office building that was re-clad with an aluminum and glass curtain wall around 1990. GMS served as structural engineer for the 57,000 sf retail store (the size of a football field).

The Whitney Museum of American Art is exhibiting a retrospective of Jeff Koon’s work.

Situated across the street from the High Line in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, 837 Washington Street is a six-story office & retail development designed by Morris Adjmi Architects for Thor Equities & Taconic Investment Partners and built by Sciame. Gilsanz Murray Steficek served as structural design engineer.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has awarded this year’s Homer Gage Balcom Lifetime Achievement Award to Ramon Gilsanz.

Our firm is honored to receive this year’s Outstanding Public Service Award, which recognizes an outstanding company who has contributed significantly to New York and its communities.

The Greater New York Construction User Council presented the Cubes at 120 West 42nd Street the 2014 Outstanding Project Award for commercial building.

For over a decade, GMS has served as the Woolworth Building‘s structural engineer. Presently, the upper portion of this landmark (30th Floor-60th Floor) is being converted to residential apartments

Nine months after the city awarded a contract for the stabilization and partial rehabilitation of the decrepit Hinchliffe Stadium to a New York City company, engineers have nearly finished a work plan that includes reversing deterioration of the stadium’s exterior.

More than 175 people celebrated the restoration of this landmark at the 26th annual Chairman’s Award luncheon.

Pictured above, from left,

Back row: Eitan Selter (Cooper Union), Michael Pugliese (joining GMS as a full-time engineer), Jacob Venditto (George Washington University), Christian Hoelzli (Villanova University), Luke Gleason (University of CT)

Middle row: Min Jeong Kang (Cooper Union), Erica Freeman (Columbia University),

Front row: Zachary White (John Hopkins University), Brian Bansrupan (New Jersey Institute of Technology), Dominic Lore (West Virginia University), Charles Iselin (Columbia University)

GMS participated in the Center for Architecture Foundation’s annual drawing competition and benefit at the Scholastic World Headquarters.

Jessica Mandrick presents a case study of the New York City Rescue Mission along with several other buildings.

To promote the profession to the next generation, award outstanding engineering students and help New York retain promising young talent, each spring, the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York offers scholarship opportunities for third-year students in a four-year program or fourth-year students in a five-year program.

Joseph Basel, Kristi Miro, Jessica Mandrick, Amanda Eldridge and Mark Beltramello attended the 19th Annual Scholarship Luncheon in support of the Architecture, Engineering & Construction Mentor Program.

In response to the expanding exposure of buildings to abnormal events, Karl Rubenacker uses a 30 story high-rise office building as a case study to present practical methods and verification procedures by which structural engineers can incorporate disproportionate collapse resistance into their buildings as part of an overall multi-hazard design process.

The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Housing and Custom Residential Knowledge Community, in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), recognized Sierra Bonita Housing in the category of Housing Accessibility (the Alan J. Rothman Award).

The New York City landmark – Tavern on the Green re-opened for dinner on April 24 and will open for lunch and brunch in mid-May!  GMS helped the new restaurateurs by engineering modifications to the historic structure for the tenants, separate from the work performed by the NYC DDC to restore the building core and shell.

On March 10, 2014 the Hotel at 218 West 35^th Street topped-out! The 38-story building is a concrete flat plate construction built on a mat foundation.

AIA New York 2014 Design Awards Announcement
http://www.aiany.org

At a recent AIANY conference about earthquakes and New York City, Ramon Gilsanz, founding partner of Gilsanz Murray Steficek LLP and Chair of the NYC DOB Structural Technical Committee responsible for the 2014 NYC Building Code revision, compared earthquakes to music to help explain the components of seismic design.

Ramon Gilsanz represented the Applied Technology Council at the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance in Cephalonia, Greece

Interior Design Magazine Announces 2013 Best of Year Finalists & Winners
http://boyawards.interiordesign.net/finalists/

Leopard Enclosure at the Staten Island Zoo includes a mesh roof supported by five shotcrete-covered steel “tree” columns and tied down to seven perimeter columns.  The mesh is tied down at the perimeter to the ground and to a low wall.

Our entry “Cloudy With a Chance of Tuna” wins the Best Use of Labels award at the 21st annual Canstruction NY competition. GMS is also celebrating 20 years of participation in the competition.

CAN on the Moon, our 2012 Canstruction NY entry, has been rebuilt for the lobby at 245 Park Avenue in New York for Arts Brooksfield.

Malibu Residence

A new two-story single-family residence constructed with architecturally exposed concrete shear walls and slabs, steel framing and steel and glass window walls.

McCann Erickson

GMS provided structural engineering services and special inspections for the architectural fit-out of approximately 185,000 rentable square feet over eight floors at 622 Third Avenue.  The project includes several stairs and floor openings to connect various floors including a four-story “art shaft”.

Glendale’s classical repertory company A Noise Within commissioned a 33,000 sf three-story theater built within the footprint of a partially demolished Stuart Pharmaceutical Company, the landmark designed by Edward Durell Stone. 

The new Academic and Laboratory Science Building will host teaching and research labs for physics, earth science, environmental science, molecular biology and chemistry.

Jane’s Carousel has come a long way in its 90-plus years of existence.

GMS is proud to have helped Gutai’s Artists, as well as the Curators and the Fabrication Department of the Guggenheim Museum to present Gutai – Splendid Playground.