Temple University Charles Library Opens to Students and Faculty
LERA's project team were on hand for the grand opening of the Charles Library at Temple University in Philadelphia. The celebration was attended by students, alumni, the design team and locals, who all came to celebrate the new library's opening. The architect is Snøhetta/Stantec JV.

LERA was the structural engineer for the 225,000-sf facility, which offers a wide array of state-of-the-art programming, including automated book storage that organizes and distributes over 2 million books.

Named one of ArchDaily's Best Architectural Projects of 2019, the Charles Library has garnered lots of media buzz and accolades. Read more about it here:





2050 M Street Wins ACEC NY
EEA 2020 Platinum Award
2050 M Street won the Platinum Award for Structural Systems at the 2020 ACEC NY Engineering Excellence Awards. LERA was the structural engineer for the 450,000-sf (41,806-sm) office building in Washington, D.C. The architect is REX.

Home to CBS’s Washington Bureau (complete with television studios), among other premier tenants, the building’s design combines the traditional typology of D.C. office buildings with modular, concave, all-glass curtain wall made of curved floor-to-ceiling panels that maximize transparency and yield panoramic, column-free views of the city’s “Golden Triangle” business district.



Construction Progresses
at Mega-tall PNB 118
The mega-tall PNB 118, which will rise to nearly 2,000 ft upon completion, has finally begun to take shape. LERA's team, led by Winnie Kwan, Managing Partner visited the site in November to check on its progress. LERA is the structural engineer, in association with Robert Bird Group. The architect is Fender Katsalidis Architects.

Topped by a dual-level observation deck, a restaurant and a 17-story, 6-star hotel, the 118-story tower will also contain 83 floors of office space, with a massive podium at its base offering retail, dining and conference space.

The building’s faceted design highlights its structural pathways, resulting in a pattern of triangular shapes reminiscent of those found in traditional Malaysian arts and crafts.

LERA is providing concept phase through design development phase services, followed by peer review and select CA services.
Minmetals Financial Center Wins American Architecture Award
The Minmetals Financial Center was awarded the 2019 American Architecture Award in the Skyscrapers/High-Rises category by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design. Located in Shenzhen, China, the 29-story office tower features a curved facade that evokes billowing sails.

The structural design furthers the nautical theme via exterior lateral bracing: two X-braced groupings of 12 floors each are separated by three horizontal single-story braced truss floors, recalling a framework of nautical ties and battens.



Philly's Schuylkill Yards Development Makes Progress
LERA is working with Brandywine Real Estate on the first phase of the new Schuylkill Yards development in Philadelphia. Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) is designing the first two of six planned towers totaling 6 millions square feet of office, residential, mixed-use and laboratory space. LERA is the structural engineer for the project.

NYU Langone Health Helen L.
and Martin S. Kimmel Pavilion Wins Multiple AEC Awards
The new NYU Langone Health Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Pavilion, a 21-story, 830,000-sf world-class healthcare facility, continues to earn some of the AEC industry's highest honors. In addition to previously winning the ACEC NY Diamond Award for Structural Systems, the Kimmel Pavilion was recently awarded:


LERA was the structural engineer for the innovative LEED Platinum facility. The architect is Ennead in association with NBBJ.




Pictured (bottom right): Doug Gonzalez, Associate Partner accepts the 2019 SEAoNY People's/Engineer's Choice Award.
SUNY New Paltz Engineering
Innovation Hub Grand Opening
The State University of New York at New Paltz celebrated the grand opening of the Engineering Innovation Hub. Designed by Urbahn Architects, the 19,500 square feet building is home for the university’s mechanical engineering program, which houses the headquarters and laboratories of the Hudson Valley Advanced Manufacturing Center (HVAMC) and serves as a business incubator for technology and engineering startups.

Right: Design team members from Urbahn Architects and LERA celebrate the opening with SUNY New Paltz facility and faculty.



University of Chicago Rubenstein Forum Nears Completion
Construction of the David M. Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago topped out in August, and is quickly nearing completion. The new center of intellectual exchange, scholarly collaboration and special events consists of a 2-story base and a 10-story tower of stacked “neighborhoods,” composed of a zinc-and-glass exterior. A 285-seat auditorium sits above the base.


LERA is the structural engineer. The architect is Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Brininstool + Lynch
Construction Progresses
at 44 Union Square
44 Union Square, more widely known as the historic Tammany Hall, is getting a major makeover. As part of a comprehensive renovation, which entails the construction of an entirely new superstructure behind its historic red-brick-and-limestone façade, a new glass-and-steel dome will cap the building. The dome's structure was recently completed, and the glass panels are currently being installed.


LERA provided construction shoring engineering and shop drawings for the historic masonry facade rehabilitation. BKSK is the architect, CNY is the general contractor, and Pullman is the masonry restoration contractor.
Photo © Michael Young.
Nordstrom Flagship Store
Opens in New York City
Nordstrom's New York City flagship store finally opened on October 24th, over 50 years after the department store chain first considered entering the NYC market.

LERA was structural engineer for the retail renovation project, which contains seven floors of retail space, a restaurant and a striking central atrium that maintains the “landmark façade” of what was once 1780 Broadway. The architect is REID Architecture and James Carpenter Design Associates.

Read more about the store's opening:
Over 3,000 Attend Block Party to
Celebrate Opening of Renovated Brooklyn Army Terminal
On September 8th, over 3,000 people attended a block party to celebrate the opening of the revitalized Brooklyn Army Terminal, which has been transformed into the premier local hub for light-industrial businesses and startups. BAT is already home to over 100 companies making everything from high-end chocolate to 3-D printed clothing and sustainable furniture.


LERA was the structural engineer for an upgrade to a third of the former munitions facility, including the installation of new freight service elevators and HVAC ducts in existing shafts, as well as the addition of new MEP equipment to the rooftop and extensive electrical work. The architect is Mancini Duffy.
Post-Tensioning of Vagelos Center Featured in Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine
The complex post-tensioning at the heart of the gravity-defying structural design of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center at Columbia University Medical Center was recently featured in Civil + Structural Engineer. In " Curvilinear Geometries: Post-Tensioned Concrete Allows Builders to Do More with Less," Mike Hopper, Senior Associate was quoted as saying, "The result [of using post-tensioning] is shallower structural members, compared to conventional reinforced concrete systems." LERA was the structural engineer. The architect is Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

New Geometrically Complex Solar Canopies Offer Unique Shade
Construction of solar canopies in St. Petersburg, FL's Pier Approach Park completed in September. LERA provided structural engineering services for the canopy structures, market stalls and smaller shade structures. The architect is Wannemacher Jensen Architects.

The design of the geometrically complex canopies used an algorithmic approach that minimized material quantities while improving structural performance.
Rendering courtesy of Wannemacher Jensen Architects
LERA 1 of 4 Finalists for Buffalo Pedestrian Bridge Competition
Teaming with Spanish bridge designers Anta Ingeniería Civil and ALFA POLARIS, LERA was one of four finalists for a competition to construct a new pedestrian bridge in the City of Buffalo's revamped Ralph C. Wilson Jr Centennial Park (formerly LaSalle Park).

CTBUH Announces 50 Most Influential Tall Buildings
of the Last 50 Years
Some of LERA's most notable projects were recently featured on CTBUH's list of the 50 Most Influential Tall Buildings of the Last 50 Years, including:

  • Bank of China Tower
  • Lotte World Tower
  • Shanghai World Financial Center
  • 550 Madison Avenue
NY Hall of Science Named as
One of 10 Buildings to Define NYC
Originally built for the 1964 World's Fair, the New York Hall of Science was named one of 10 buildings that helped to define modernism in New York City by Metropolis Magazine.

LERA was the structural engineer for the façade restoration of the famous Great Hall, which is composed of 5,400 concrete coffers cast in a style known as dalle de verre, or “slab of glass.” LERA also led the structural design of a new modern addition the the museum, completed in 2004.
Photo © Esto/Jeff Goldberg
New Tacombi Restaurant Opens
in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Mexican restaurant chain Tacombi recently opened their new location in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Located in a former garage space, a new glass-and-metal “garage-style” door was installed at the previous garage door opening of the 1-story masonry building.

LERA assisted the design team with the unique door design. The architect is NDNY.
Rich Garlock Presents at CTBUH World Congress in Chicago
On October 28th, Rich Garlock, Partner presented at the 10th Annual CTBUH World Congress in Chicago, IL. His talk, titled " Looking at the Past and into the Future: Structural Design Innovations for Tall Buildings," took place during the Day 1 Workshops program.


Nidhi Sekhar Honored as Emerging Leader of New York by CTBUH NY
Nidhi Sekhar, Senior Computational Designer was named as one of five Emerging Leaders of New York by CTBUH NY. Awardees were recognized at a reception on November 1st in New York City as part of the CTBUH NY Regional Conference.

Nidhi is a core member of LERA+, LERA's computational design and research team, and was a featured speaker at Autodesk University 2018 in Las Vegas and TECH+ 2018 in New York.
Eddy Roberts Speaks at
2019 ACI Concrete Convention
On October 19th, Eddy Roberts, Senior Associate presented at the 2019 ACI Fall Concrete Convention, in Cincinnati, OH. His talk, titled " Design Using High-Performance Concrete and Construction Method for Lotte World Tower in Seoul," gave an overview of the structural innovations that went into the design of the Lotte World Tower, currently the fifth tallest building in the world. Eddy served as Project Manager for the supertall tower.
Pictured left: Eddy (top row, right) poses with fellow speakers.
LERA Boasts Strong Presence
at ACEC NY Annual Meeting
On June 5th, Rick Zottola, Partner; Aakash Badjatya, Associate; and Thomas Kelleher, Associate attended the ACEC NY Annual Meeting. Rick was sworn in as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors Executive Committee for the 2019-2020 term, the second year he has served in the role. Thomas and Aakash were both recognized as part of the graduating class of the 2019 Leadership Institute. In addition, Thomas is a member of the Emerging Leaders Committee, and Aakash is a member of the PANYNJ New York Steering Committee.

Ben Cornelius, Partner is also a member of the Emerging Leaders Committee, and Elias Matar, Partner is a Chair of the Vertical Construction Business Practice Committee.







Pictured (top to bottom): Thomas (L) and Aakash (R) stand with their plaques; Rick (front row, far right) sits with the 2019-2020 Board of Directors.
Benjamin Cornelius Spars in
"Battle of the Experts" 2019
In August, Benjamin Cornelius, Partner participated in Magna Legal Services' 2019 "Battle of the Experts" conference, which brings together AEC and legal experts of all types to share their insight and experience.

What Ben likes most about loss consulting is using his experience "to help legal teams better understand problems on their clients’ construction projects, make good decisions, and successfully navigate disputes."



Ben leads LERA’s Investigations and Expert Witness Practice and is an experienced expert witness. He has conducted over thirty forensic investigations in North America, Europe, and Asia in disputes totaling more than $700 million.
LERA's "Engineer of the Moment": Michael Hopper!
Our latest "Engineer of the Moment" is Michael Hopper! Mike is a true LERA success story: after interning as a student in LERA's NY office in 2008, he joined the firm full time as a Design Engineer in 2010, rising Senior Associate in 2019. Mike earned his master's and bachelor's degrees in Architectural Engineering from Penn State, where he graduated with Honors and Distinction. He specializes in the design of post-tensioned concrete structures that achieve gravity-defying cantilevers and long spans, often deployed in buildings involving complex geometry.

LERA+ Showcases Sculptural Work at CODAworx Summit 2019
On October 4th, Alfonso Oliva, Senior Associate and Director of LERA+, gave a presentation at the 2019 CODAsummit in El Paso, TX. In his presentation, Alfonso discussed how LERA+ can help artists to take a computational approach to optimize the structural design and fabrication of their sculptural works, simplifying design processes so that they can focus on their art.

Gokul Kamath Speaks at
2019 Steel Day Mumbai
On September 27th, Gokul Kamath, Senior Associate spoke at the 2019 Steel Construction Summit in Mumbai, India. His presentation focused on the future of the steel market in India, and discussed how the use of structural steel has enabled many of LERA’s landmark projects around the world.
LERA Wins 2019 SMPS-NY Marketing Communications Award
LERA won the 2019 SMPS-NY Marketing Communications Excellence Award for the Project Pursuits category. Carrie Villani, Director of Marketing and Magen Mintz, Proposal Coordinator were on hand to accept the award at the SMPS-NY Libery Ball on June 6th. The annual awards program is dedicated to honoring excellence in marketing and professionalism in the AEC industry.



LERA was recognized for their winning proposal submission in response to the 2019-2022 PANYNJ Structural Call-In (Buildings) RFP, which consisted of a 100+ page binder with custom designed graphics and materials, developed and produced in-house.







Pictured: Carrie (L) and Magen (R) stand with their award.
LERA Wins 2019 Zweig
Marketing Excellence Awards
LERA placed 3rd in the External Newsletter Category at the 2019 Zweig Marketing Excellence Awards, a national awards program that recognizes outstanding and effective marketing in the AEC industry.

LERA Projects on Display
at Pompidou Centre
MAD Architects is featured in a yearlong exhibit at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, France on display through April, 2020.

A number of LERA's project collaborations with MAD are including in the exhibit, including the Ping Tang Museum in China (right).

A Look Back at MoMA's PS1
Young Architects Program
The Architect's Newspaper offers an overview of the 20 plus year old design competition upon the news that MOMA and PS1 will put the competition on hold for the year.

"Some of the better-regarded highlights over the years included WORKac’s 2008 P.F.1 (Public Farm One), which installed a demonstration urban farm that could survive the barren courtyard environment and created an ascending staircase of planter boxes on top of the gravel-covered space.

LERA completed structural engineering on PF1 with WorkAC.

LERA Expands Presence
in Philadelphia
National Geographic has named Philadelphia as one of the top places to visit in 2020.

LERA's active projects in Philadelphia continues to grow. We are in design on mixed use, residential, office, laboratory, cultural and academic projects in the city.

LERA is WMBE certified with the City of Philadelphia.


Read about some of LERA's in progress projects here.


LERA Wins Top Prize at
2019 Canstruction New York
LERA's entry for this year's Canstruction New York, titled "Delicate Balance," was awarded Best Original Design, the top prize at the 27th installation of the annual charitable design competition. Team members were on hand to accept the award at the annual Canstruction Gala on Monday, November 11th at Battery Gardens Restaurant.

Canstruction brings teams of architects, engineers, contractors and students together to create giant structures made entirely from unopened cans of food, which are then donated to those in need. This year, LERA's team of volunteers designed and constructed an 8-ft tall pair of ballerina feet posing in the classic sous-sous dancer's position. The structure is made from nearly 2,500 cans of stuffed grape leaves and Grecian-style eggplant.

Pictured right: Team LERA on build night (top); Team LERA celebrates their award at the gala (bottom).



Ethan Cotton Leads EWB
Mission Trip to Morocco
Following up on his successful trip to Rwanda last year, Ethan Cotton, Associate (pictured in orange) once again served with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) on an international charity mission. This year's project involves constructing a solar-powered water distribution system for a commune in Morocco.


Recently, Ethan was named one of 2019's Top Young Professionals by ENR-NY for his outstanding commitment to industry leadership and volunteering.
Fore! LERA Hits the Links
at Industry Golf Tournaments
Several of LERA's engineers suited up in polo's and khakis to compete in some of the AEC industry's most hotly contested golf tournaments. On June 10th, Team LERA held their own at the 2019 Annual SEAoNY Golf Outing at Mahopac Golf Club in Mahopac, NY (top right). On July 15th, LERA teamed up with representatives from Bovis Lend Lease and Ankura to take part in the 2019 Annual NYBC Golf Outing at Westchester Country Club in Rye, NY (bottom left).
Team Building "Samurai Style"!
As part of an introductory class series, a few brave LERA-ites channeled their inner samurai for martial arts lessons at local NYC dojo conducted by LERA's own Antonio Rodriguez, Associate Partner.

A lifelong practitioner, Antonio has been teaching martial arts for many years, with the goal of helping people to learn self-improvement and develop practical self-defense skills.

Pictured right: Antonio (far right) demonstrates in front of the group.
LERA's "Steel Toes" Wrap Up Another Summer Season
LERA's in-house soccer club, dubbed the "Steel Toes," recently completed another season in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. The team reconvenes during the summer months for a good-hearted game of soccer once a week.
ENGAGEMENTS + HONORS + ACTIVITIES
On June 5th, Rick Zottola, Partner was sworn in as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors Executive Committee for the 2019-2020 term at the ACEC NY Annual Meeting.

On June 5th, Aakash Badjatya, Associate and Thomas Kelleher, Associate were both recognized as part of the graduating class of the 2019 Leadership Institute at the ACEC NY Annual Meeting.

Elias Matar, Partner was reinstated as Chair of the New York Building Congress.

In August, Benjamin Cornelius, Partner participated in Magna Legal Services' 2019 " Battle of the Experts" conference.

On September 27th, Gokul Kamath, Senior Associate spoke at the 2019 Steel Construction Summit in Mumbai, India.

On October 4th, Alfonso Oliva, Senior Associate and Director of LERA+, gave a presentation at the 2019 CODAsummit in El Paso, TX.

On October 19th, Eddy Roberts, Senior Associate presented at the 2019 ACI Fall Concrete Convention in Cincinnati, OH.
Rich Garlock, Partner presented at the 10th Annual CTBUH World Congress in Chicago, IL on October 28th.

On November 1st, Nidhi Sekhar, Senior Computational Designer was recognized as one of five Emerging Leaders of New York by CTBUH NY.

LERA won Best Original Design at Canstruction New York 2019 on November 11th for " Delicate Balance."

Alfonso Oliva was a moderator for the Digital Design Community autumn event.

LERA's latest " Engineer of the Moment" is Michael Hopper, Senior Associate.


LERA won the 2019 SMPS-NY Marketing Communications Excellence Award for the Project Pursuits category on June 6th.

LERA invites you to join the Women In Design 2020+ International Conference, January 8-10, 2020, Mumbai.
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