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.