(New York – June 17, 2010) – Four New York City projects by Thornton Tomasetti, the international engineering firm with practices in building structure, building skin and building performance, were selected as among the city’s top 12 projects honored by the Greater New York Construction User Council (GNYCUC) at its 2010 Chairman’s reception on June 15 on the Green Roof at 250 Hudson Street in Manhattan.

Thornton Tomasetti provided structural engineering services as part of the design team for the following projects that received the GNYCUC honors:

The recently completed New York Law School academic center in TriBeCa will receive the top award in the education category. The project was constructed in two phases. Phase one consisted of a new 250,000-SF building, which has four levels below grade and five above. The building is a top-down construction and houses all of the law school’s classrooms, a cafeteria, a library and an event space. The architects are SmithGroup and BKSK.

The Milstein Family Heart Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan will receive top honors in the healthcare category. The signature architectural element of the Pei Cobb Freed & Partners designed project is its exposed and highly detailed curved climate wall, the first in New York, coupled with a 70-foot tall atrium space enclosing glass bridges that connect the existing hospital buildings and the new construction. Thornton Tomasetti provided structural engineering as well as preliminary curtain wall design services for the building. Among the most challenging tasks were the irregular grid layout, keeping the hospital fully operational during construction, and working with the interferences from the existing structure.

The office tower at 11 Times Square, developed by SJP Properties, will be honored as the top new office construction project. Thornton Tomasetti provided structural design for 11 Times Square, a 630-foot, 975,000-square-foot new office tower at the corner of 8th avenue and 42nd street. It consists of 38 stories above-grade with one cellar level and a 55-foot penthouse enclosure. The building was designed by FXFowle Architects, P.C. to achieve a LEED Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Grey Advertising’s office at L & L Holding’s 200 Fifth Avenue was named the top project in the Interiors category. This landmarked 750,000-square-foot, 14-story commercial property, overlooking Madison Square Park in Manhattan’s historic Flatiron District was restored and transformed to a premier office building. Thornton Tomasetti provided structural engineering, historic façade restoration, exterior wall consulting for a new glass curtain wall and façade engineering for the structural glass entrance and canopy. For the Grey Advertising interior, Thornton Tomasetti designed/engineered the main featured monumental stair and removed the existing third floor slab to create a two-story presentation center. Thornton Tomasetti also supported MEP equipment, including a data center with UPS equipment, high density filing systems and movable partitions.

“Thornton Tomasetti is honored to be recognized as part of the design teams responsible for each of these outstanding projects recognized by the Greater New York Construction User Council,” said Michael Squarzini, P.E., LEED AP, senior principal of Thornton Tomasetti.

The Greater New York Construction User Council advances the practical needs of owners and “users” of construction and construction-related services in New York through an understanding of construction policy, methodology and technology. The organization’s goals are to promote cost effective and safe construction; encourage a higher level of professionalism in project management; provide a key forum to discuss issues, policies and laws affecting the construction industry; and to better understand new technology and new initiatives in sustainable construction.

About Thornton Tomasetti (www.ThorntonTomasetti.com)
Thornton Tomasetti provides engineering services to clients worldwide on buildings of all sizes and complexity. From the tallest buildings and the longest spans, to innovative building systems and materials, the firm is committed to creating the best solutions through its technical ingenuity, pursuit of excellence, and responsiveness to client needs. Our work is in three practice areas: Building Structures, Building Skin and Building Performance. Founded in 1956 as Lev Zetlin & Associates, today Thornton Tomasetti is a 550-person organization of engineers and architects collaborating from offices across the United States and in Shanghai, Hong Kong, London, Moscow, and the Middle East.

Contact
Great Ink Communications – 212.741.2977
Roxanne Donovan/Eric Gerard/Marieka Baily/Mitch Breindel

Thornton Tomasetti – 917.661.7800
James M. Kent, JKent@ThorntonTomasetti.com