001-45_127_NOV-DEC_LAYOUT_PT - Flipbook - Page 17
NEW YORK, U.S.
ST. JOHN’S TERMINAL
THE REDEVELOPMENT AT 550 WASHINGTON STREET of the former St. John’s
Terminal, constructed in the 1930s, resulted in a new, high-performance
health and wellness commercial office building, and is now the home of
Google’s New York City headquarters. Its structure features an innovative
first-of-its-kind application of precast segmental bridge design technique.
The 1.3 million square-foot building was designed as a single-tenant leased office building clad in curtain wall. A nine-level addition
was constructed on top of the existing renovated three-story podium, for
a total of 12 stories plus a penthouse plant and service space. The structure is a first-of-its-kind application of precast segmental bridge technology
to vertical core construction in buildings.
Entuitive, responsible for structural engineering, special inspections,
as well as acting as the temporary works peer review consultant, was
recently honoured with an award from the Structural Engineers Association of New York for the project.
The application of bridge design principles proved instrumental in
facilitating a 10-floor extension to the existing building. Incorporating a
post-tensioned core not only expedited the construction process but also
enabled simultaneous restoration work on the podium while new construction advanced. The utilization of built-up plate girders, connected to
NORWAY
the core, serve to support transfer floors and cantilevers, thereby creating
open green spaces within the structure.
2026 delivered real momentum on RCCAO’s infrastructure expansive
From the level of efficiency and utilization of precast concrete in a forTHE NEW BODØpriorities,
AIRPORT project infrom
NorthernHighway
Norway is a £520M
413investment
and the Bradford mer rail terminal (effectively quadrupling the building’s height from three to
and housing
that sets a new benchmark for cost-effective and timely airport delivery.
12 storeys), all while preserving a nearly 100-year-old structure to bring it
progress
on deep
reforms
Bypass
Moreto
than
just an infrastructure
project,excavation
it represents a transformation
of and HST
through future centuries, St. John’s Terminal serves to inspire the design of
an aging Cold War–era airfield with a modern facility
future tall buildings (both new and old).
relief the
forregion—replacing
new housing.
capable of handling more than 2.3 million passengers annually. With its
The building’s redevelopment created a new, high-performance workLooking
ahead
to 2027,
RCCAO
will stay
focused on key place designed as a single tenant leased office building clad in curtain
collaborative
contracting
model, sustainable
approach
to construction,
and innovative use of digital tools, the project has already become a referwall. The building achieved LEED v4 Platinum certification for its core and
such
asfuture
advancing
municipal
issuesence
point for
airport developments
worldwide.infrastructure priorities, shell development. And the construction was completed in February 2024.
COWI playspredictable
a central role in thetendering,
project as appointed
engineering
encouraging
and
supporting consistent
consultant by Peab/Avinor for the infrastructure works. Their remit spans
municipal
spending
toincluding
ensure
infrastructure
everythingcapital
from the asphalt
downwards,
the design
and construction
of
the
runway,
taxiways,
flood
defences,
drainage,
and
investments continue to move forward. utilities.
They have overseen challenging works such as land reclamation of
200,000m², installation
of unusual
steel landing-light structures on piles,
RCCAO
MEMBERS
and optimisation of pavement thicknesses. COWI’s expertise has also
helped unlock major savings by proving that locally sourced rock could
meet the project’s needs, avoiding costly imports and cutting emissions.
“We cut carbon on the project by reusing 3.5M m³ of on-site rock instead
of importing materials, redesigning landing light structures to use fewer piles
and less steel and applying GPS-guided excavation to avoid unnecessary
work,” said Jesper Asferg, Executive Business Development Director at COWI.
“These measures lowered transport, material use, and emissions, showing
that smarter design can deliver real value.”
Working in close partnership under the contract with Peab, the project
has fostered a culture of shared risk and reward, with advanced tools such
as dynamic positioning systems and Power BI dashboards helping to reduce
waste, improve accuracy, and meet demanding milestones. This spirit of
collaboration highlights how working together can deliver not just technical
achievements, butwww.rccao.com
lasting benefits for the wider community.
2026 MOMENTUM.
2027 PRIORITIES.
IMAGE COURTESY OF @ SAM BURNBANK
NEW BODØ AIRPORT
_RCCAO
RCCAO
bit.ly/RCCAO
