The Brook
Located on a dense, highly constrained site with poor soil conditions previously deemed unbuildable, The Brook maximizes its triangular footprint to deliver a highly successful mixed-use residential tower. The result is an elegant, 51-story, cast-in-place concrete tower wrapped in a contemporary glass-and-metal-panel curtain wall, and offering nearly 600 units, ground-floor retail, and ample amenities.
Problematic soil conditions, as well as existing subway and electrical infrastructure, had long confounded prospective developers. Collaborating closely with the architect, geotechnical engineers, and municipal agencies, DeSimone’s structural engineering and façade and building envelope teams devised out-of-the-box structural engineering and solutions that effectively and efficiently resolve the site and design complexities.
| Client | Witkoff |
|---|---|
| Architect: | Beyer Blinder Belle |
| Size | 51 Stories | 558,000 SF (51,850 SM) | 591 Units (30% Affordable) |
| Sustainability | High-efficiency heating & cooling, High-efficiency envelope |
| Office: | New York |
| Completion: | 2025 |
To address the soil conditions and maintain a safe buffer zone around transit infrastructure, we devised a massive raft foundation system of high-strength concrete—one of the largest pours ever executed in Brooklyn.
At ground level, our design of the structure included the removal of part of the first-floor slab to cantilever a significant part of the building over the existing DeKalb Avenue subway entrance and access stair. To transfer the tower loads down to the foundation, we devised a post-tensioned concrete girder that meets MTA restrictions and limitations and holds a suspended portion of the first-floor slab.
To support the weight of an outdoor swimming pool atop the podium we reinforced the structure at the fourth floor and leveraged an outrigger beam and belt-truss system at the roof to stiffen the slender tower.
DeSimone’s façade experts worked with the architect to develop a custom curtain wall solution for the thermally insulated, high-performance, and energy-efficient building envelope. Our team carefully detailed waterproofing conditions around podium setbacks, a split tower façade, and complicated structural intersections.
Suspending new cladding systems around the existing MTA entrance, we seamlessly incorporated it into the style of the Brook.
)
