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Link Apartments QPN
Located adjacent to the Queensboro Plaza MTA station within a Qualified Opportunity Zone, the 28-story Link Apartments QPN residential tower posed a number of unique challenges for our team.
To integrate a new, accessible MTA entrance directly into the building base—including an elevator and pedestrian bridge connection, our engineers designed a cast-in-place structure that, at the lower levels, transfers loads to strategically positioned, reinforced girders and columns. These span the MTA entrance and surrounding infrastructure, distributing the entire weight of the superstructure to the foundations, which have been carefully positioned around the perimeter of the MTA infrastructure to avoid the transfer of loads onto the subway's roof or walls.
| Client | Grubb Properties |
|---|---|
| Architect: | Handel Architects |
| Size | 28 Stories | 310,000 SF (28,799 SM) | 417 Rental Units (30% Affordable) |
| Sustainability | NGBS Certification Target, High-performance glazing |
| Office: | New York |
| Completion: | 2024 |
Our structural engineers also took on the challenge of designing a 12th-floor transfer level, which includes a pool, carefully coordinating load transitions across the structural systems of the 11-story podium’s wide base and slender tower above
On the building exterior, our façade and building envelope team collaborated with the architect in the design of a dark brick facade inspired by the area's industrial past and punctuated by an irregular grid of punched windows. The façade includes three types of glazing, including bird-friendly glazing, a glass curtain wall, and storefront windows for the 7,000 SF of retail at ground level. At the tower top, the window pattern extends the facade past the top floor and encloses the rooftop amenities.
Tenant amenities include an outdoor pool, fitness center, and co-working spaces, as well as an interior courtyard framed by the building’s podium, with an elevated structural slab supported by shear walls and columns extending from the cellar level. Of the 417 units, 30% have been set aside as affordable housing under 421A.
Sustainability features include high-performance glazing, efficient mechanical systems, and a rooftop green space that reduces heat gain.
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