In the Media: Olympia Dumbo Featured in Commercial Observer

Olympia Dumbo and DeSimone Innovation Featured in Commercial Observer

Commercial Observer reporter Amanda Schiavo recently toured the magnificent, award-winning Olympia DUMBO residential tower on the Brooklyn waterfront with DeSimone Associate Principal, Rodolfo Medina (Rudy), and Senior Associate, Benjamin Reich, to see for herself how our engineers tackled the dynamic structural and façade design challenges to create its unique, sail-shaped silhouette.

In her story, Amanda conveys how our skilled, problem-solving team worked with the project designers Hill West Architects to identify the sweet spot on each floor where they could deploy sloping columns to support and articulate the building’s curved silhouette—cleverly resolving load paths as the structure tapers upward.

Amanda describes how DeSimone combined traditional, cast-in-place concrete slabs with lighter and sustainable voided concrete systems to create cantilevered balconies and spacious, column-free amenities areas, including an indoor pool. In the article, Rudy explains how a major slab on the 5th floor transfers loads from the housing component above to create clear zones for the amenities below.

“Those challenges are something that we’re always excited [to tackle],” says Medina.

Check out Amanda's story: The Plan: The Sail-Shaped Olympia Condo Glides Over the Brooklyn Skyline here or download a PDF here.