- DeSimone performed Preconstruction services alongside outside structural Engineers to pre-detail this very complicated Disney theme park structure. A design-build project extending several years, DeSimone was instrumental in creating the preconstruction and fabrication ready models for full shop production and steel erection
- This 10,000 ton project featured complex connections requiring continual refinement of plate and fixture techniques to accurately assemble the complex vine structure used to support the floating mountains
- Factoring in structural consideration for erection was an important aspect of DeSimone’s scope of work
- Integration of point-cloud data throughout the project ensured the fabrication model was built to the precise tolerances
- Although Disney’s Star War’s theme parks in Florida and California are similar in appearance and experience, both sites are very different structurally with two different building codes catering for Florida’s hurricane path, and the San Andreas Fault that Los Angeles sits upon
- DeSimone provided fabrication modeling and detailing for each site working closely with the Structural Engineers to connect the sub-structure with two completely different design approaches
- Extensive use of DeSimone’s complex Connection Builder Application enabled DeSimone’s team to parameterize and adjust to the different complex geometry and standards whilst connecting the underlying sub-structure for the Galaxy’s Edge
- A one-story recording studio in the heart of the exclusive Albany Marina Residences community
- Building diameter is approximately 98 feet
- An undulating, tiered facade is reminiscent of both the ocean and an audio waveform
- Serrated edge segments of the building envelope translate into a vertical mullion in the perimeter glazing system
- Project consists of a one-story gallery at 504 West 24th Street
- Site is located directly underneath the existing historic High Line
- Gallery has over 4,500 sf of exhibition space, illuminated with natural light from two full length skylights on either side of the elevated park, as well as 4,000 sf of offices, viewing rooms, and art handling space
- Gallery’s roof is designed to meet load and clearance requirements for future maintenance of the High Line
- To maximize clear height in the gallery space, customized bent steel roof beams are fabricated from standard steel shapes and welded plates
- Facade features cast-in-place white concrete and a 14 ft glass storefront system
- Project includes the demolition of the existing three-story structure leased to gallery tenants in preparation of a new commercial space
- New development is a six-story building, totaling up to 37,000 gsf
- Retail/gallery space on the ground floor measures 7,000 sf, with floors of similar extents above
- Base building height is 95 ft above grade, with a bulkhead level bringing the total building height to 121 ft above grade
- New structure is on deep pile foundations, both to hold the structure down against flood waters and to bear the structure upon suitable soil or rock, which is deep in this neighborhood
- Multiple floors have a high gallery and workshop live load of 150 gsf
- Project, located on 540 West 21st Street in West Chelsea, is an approximately 160,000 sf luxury residential building atop a 45,000 sf art gallery
- Located in close proximity to the High Line, with clear views of the Hudson River, the 16-story residential tower includes a lap pool, indoor parking athletic facilities, and garden terraces
- Contemporary art gallery space includes exhibition and support space
- Building consists of a 26-story mixed-use tower
- Comprises a small basement level approximately 4,500 sf
- Basement will be used for MEP services, residential apartments, retail space, a church, a classroom/support services for the church, parking, and a large fitness center
- Project site is on a corner lot immediately adjacent to Central Park features a landmarked existing church
- Conversion of the existing structure involved thorough renovation and inclusion of additional floor area
- Existing stairwells were infilled and new stairwells were located to serve all new and existing levels with sufficient egress
- Balcony was removed and replaced with two mezzanines, featuring large open areas to the floors below
- Additional floor area and exterior spaces were constructed within the roof trusses and involved full reconstruction of the uppermost floors
- Total new floor area is 75,000 sf
- A transformative 25-story development in the cultural center of New Brunswick, New Jersey
- 450,000 square foot facility includes a 344-vehicle parking garage, two performance stages, back of house and rehearsal areas, office space, and residential area
- A residential tower rises above the cultural spaces and includes 207 units
- Represents one of the largest public-private partnerships in the history of New Jersey
Awards
- Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) – Honors Award
- New Jersey Concrete and Aggregate Association (NJCAA) – Merit Award, High Rise
- Located on Liberty Island just steps from the Statue of Liberty monument
- New building introduces 15,000sf of new exhibition space to better serve an estimated 4.4 million annual visitors
- Museum encompasses approximately 26,000sf, but due to the elevated ground floor, total framed area is over 50,000sf
- Building structure is comprised of cast-in-place concrete for the main elevated museum slab, load-bearing precast concrete walls that double as the façade and lateral system, and a steel-framed faceted roof slab
Awards
- American Council of Engineering Companies New York (ACEC NY) Engineering Excellence Awards – Platinum Award, Structural Systems
- Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Awards – Honorable Mention, Unbuilt Landscape
- Engineering News Record (ENR) New York Regional Best Projects – Construction Award of Merit
- Engineering News Record (ENR) New York Regional Best Projects – Cultural Award of Merit
- International Design Awards – Silver
- New Jersey Concrete and Aggregate Association (NJCAA) – Green Apple Award
- Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAONY) Excellence Awards – Engineers Choice
- Urban Land Institute (ULI) Excellence in Development Awards – Finalist
Aerial photo of the new Statue of Liberty Museum courtesy of Phelps Construction
- Located on the corner of 1st Avenue and East 46th Street in Manhattan’s Turtle Bay neighborhood
- New 32-story center consists of the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey, associated departments, and residential lodging units
- Foundation system comprised of a reinforced concrete mat under shear walls and spread footings under columns and foundation walls
- Overall footprint of the site contains cellar and sub-cellar parking levels of below grade structure
- The new visitor’s center is an extension of the existing Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
- A 592,000sf suspended slab at ground level provides multiple outdoor landscape and architectural areas
- A massive sub-ground level contains parking, retail and dining areas
- Located in downtown Miami Beach, Florida
- Two-story structure with 42,000 sf
- Nearly doubles the existing library branch’s size
- Includes an auditorium, community meeting rooms, a coffee bar, a reading garden and children’s library
- Provides the city with a 400-car parking facility and ground floor retail space
- The contextual stucco-clad design has helped boost interest in the cultural center and revitalized the surrounding neighborhood
- A 64,000 sf theater, part of Pittsburgh’s efforts to revitalize its Performing Arts District
- The horseshoe-shaped main performance auditorium houses 800 seats
- Mezzanine seating is supported by suspending the element from a one-story concrete-encased truss spanning the width of the theater
- Includes an elegant barrel-vaulted rehearsal space, lobby, and bar
- Involves a 16,000 sf expansion and renovation in order to link the Museum’s existing non-contiguous buildings as well as create more usable space
- Creates a new, common entrance, flexible gallery spaces, a large multipurpose room, cafe, and an outdoor living room
- Also creates much-needed education spaces, offices, and back of house spaces
- Meets the U.S. Department of Labor standards since one of the buildings is a Historical Landmark
- A four-block, cultural complex located in Mid-Beach, Miami Florida
- Consists of the Faena Forum, a cultural center; Faena Bazaar, a four-level retail component; Faena Park, a car park with above and below-grade parking areas; Faena Hotel Miami Beach; Faena House, a luxury condominium building; and Casa Faena Hotel Miami Beach
Awards
- American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Engineering Excellence Awards – Silver Award, Structural Systems
- BD+C Magazine Building Team Awards – Silver
- Concrete Industry Board (CIB) Awards – Award of Merit
- Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) Honors Award
- Engineering News Record (ENR) Best Southeast Region Project Awards – Best Cultural Project, Faena Forum
- Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAONY) Excellence Awards – New Buildings 100,000 sf to 500,000 sf Category
- Located in downtown Newark
- Involves the renovation and expansion of the museum’s existing facilities
- The 200,000 sf project doubles the facility’s art galleries, provided a new auditorium and increased space for collection storage
- As the museum remained open during construction, extensive strategic planning was required
- DeSimone simplified the structural system so crews could work more quickly and efficiently
- Subsequent phases include the historic preservation of Ballantine House, a planetarium and science galleries
- The complete restoration of this New York City landmark theater launched the late 1990’s redevelopment of Times Square
- Constructed in 1902, the New Amsterdam Theater lay neglected for nearly two decades before being rescued and returned to its former splendor
- The restored 1,200-seat theater has hosted many major Broadway productions
- Houses Bard College’s opera, dance, and musical productions as well as the theatrical teaching facilities
- The 860-seat, 64,000 sf performance auditorium and rigging tower are made of tall, slender, cast-in-place concrete walls
- The first and second balcony seating sections cantilever from these walls and are carefully balanced with the hallway floors outside the auditorium
- The 420-seat teaching theater is housed in a reinforced concrete masonry auditorium and rigging tower
- The exterior of the buildings, which envelop the functional boxes, embodies the signature Frank Gehry metal skin
- The complex, compound, sinuous curves, computer generated, define the form to which the thin stainless steel sheathing follows
- A unique harmony of steel and concrete with the versatility to house almost any size and type of performance is the final product
- Awards:
ACEC New York – Diamond Award, Structural Systems 2004
ACEC National – Award of Merit, Structural Systems 2004
AISC Ideas2 – Award of Merit, $25-$100 Million 2004
New York Construction News – Best of Awards, Institution 2002
- The expansion involves a 50,000 sf addition to the existing facility and a 14,000 sf Italian Renaissance building built in 1899 as a post office
- The new building is located immediately south of the existing building, with the front entrance facing South High Street
- Galleries are located one level above the entrance and extend all the way from South High Street to South Broadway
- The building is broken up into three primary components: the Crystal, the Gallery-Box, and the Roof Cloud
- The Crystal signifies the main entry and operates as a space for orientation
- The Crystal encompasses an auditorium, classrooms, library, café, and bookstore
- The Gallery Box is an independent space that is highly controllable and changeable as it is one unified space with a long span structure that can be built out freely based on the needs of each exhibit
- The Roof Cloud hovers above the building, creating a blurred envelope for the museum, and also operates as a horizontal landmark in the city
- Awards:
ACEC California, CELSOC – Merit Award, Structural Systems 2008
NCSEA Outstanding Project Awards – Finalist, Excellence Award, Structural Engineering 2008
CIB Roger H. Corbetta Awards – Award of Merit 2006
The Chicago Athenaeum – American Architecture Award 2005
- Provides the city with a classically inspired, highly efficient, state-of-the-art facility accommodating Jacksonville’s evolving needs
- Consists of five floors and contains over 330,000 sf of space
- Accommodates the library’s 2.2 million book collection, as well as a grand reading room, a 400-seat auditorium, a multi-purpose room, a café, a bookstore, and a garage
- Dramatic changes in elevation combined with the local sands relatively low bearing capacity necessitated using large stepped footings throughout the site
- The superstructure uses a flat slab system with drop panels
- The slabs transfer loads to reinforced concrete columns and shear walls, supported on the building’s spread footings
- Spandrel beams are located along the building perimeter to stiffen the slab edge, and support the heavy pre-cast façade loads
- A vulnerability assessment was conducted based upon the national GSA blast criteria, due to the library’s proximity to the federal courthouse
- Awards:
ACEC New York – Gold Award, Structural Systems 2006
ACI Florida Chapter – Significant Concrete Structure 2005
Southeast Construction – Best Public Building, Concrete Building 2006
- Located on the historic Glen Burnie Estate in Winchester, Virginia
- The museum, a key component of the estates total masterplan redesign contains Julian Wood Glass, Jr.’s regional historic collection of furniture and decorative arts
- The $22 million facility references the existing landmark house Georgian design
- The 48,000 sf steel structure contains five exhibition galleries, a reception hall, a museum store, a tea room and a learning center
- Located in downtown Roanoke, houses the museum’s permanent collection of 19th and early 20th century American paintings, African art, Southern decorative arts, and Contemporary art
- The exterior design of the building draws from the surrounding landscape with an undulating roofline of stainless steel and glass combined with angular exterior stone walls
- The 85,000 sf facility houses considerably larger exhibition and education spaces than the original adjoining museum
- Includes an expanded Art Venture, a children’s interactive gallery and art center, a flexible programming/theater space, an IMAX theater
- Also includes a multi-purpose auditorium, a research library, a book and gift shop, a studio classroom, works on paper study room, and a café with indoor and outdoor seating
- A spacious atrium provides a meeting place for the community, as well as a premier venue for special events
- Awards:
The Chicago Athenaeum – International Architecture Award 2009
- A provocative and inviting visual arts center for the city of Edmonton, Canada
- A quarter of the existing facility was demolished to allow for the design and construction of this new addition
- The new addition provides 27,000 sf of floor space to the facility
- The design infills and expands vertically a new steel structure which houses gallery spaces, administrative functions, and rooftop gardens
- Through materiality and strategic repositioning on the site, the gallery formally and philosophically extends out to the community
- The project utilizes a wide array of green features and intelligent engineering strategies
Awards
- Metals in Construction Association – President’s Award for Overall Excellence
- Renovations to the New York State Theater
- Designed by Philip Johnson and built in 1964
- Includes the orchestra pit, proscenium, main curtain, fire curtain, auditorium, front-of-house lighting positions, stage lighting system, the lobby and back-of-house areas
- Preliminary phases investigate and diagram the structural elements addressed by the renovation scope
- DeSimone helped to establish budgets for structural components and identify construction schedules that work within predetermined construction windows
- One of several attractor facilities built within the King Abdullah Financial District
- Contains over 614,000 sf of gallery and support spaces as well as 614,000 sf of below grade parking
- The museum is connected to the surrounding parcels by two skywalks at level 1
- The monorail station at level 2 provides further global access to the museum
- The building’s structure is comprised of a hybrid system which combines cast in place concrete, structural steel floor framing, and large steel trusses
- An external steel frame is used to shape and support the angular cladding and roof structure
- Located in the iconic Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York
- Measures 5-stories with a column free gallery space that occupies most of the ground level
- The first LEED-certified commercial gallery in the United States
- Sustainable features include habitable green roofs, high efficiency mechanical systems, day-lighting, and responsibly sourced materials
Awards
- American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York Design Awards
- Architect Magazine Awards – Annual Design Review Award
- Concrete Industry Board (CIB) Awards – Award of Merit
About the Project
- Located in Al Ain, UAE
- Consists of an 86 meter span by 30 meters high Dome with a column free interior space
- The Mosque Dome is the largest in the UAE
- Also contains 4 Minaret towers, outdoor prayer courtyard, un-covered parking areas and ground level landscaping, all connected by an arcade passageway