University Center at The New School
Located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 14th Street in Manhattan, the University Center at The New School is a defining anchor for the university’s Greenwich Village campus and a physical expression of its values.
DeSimone was the structural engineer for the 16-story, LEED Gold-certified building, which combines academic, residential, and cultural programs. Its lower levels house classrooms, labs, studios, and an 800-seat auditorium, while a student housing tower above accommodates more than 600 residents.
| Client | The New School |
|---|---|
| Architect: | Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) |
| Size | 16 Stories | 325,610 SF (30,249 SM) |
| Sustainability | LEED Gold |
| Office: | New York |
| Completion: | 2013 |
To address the building’s complex geometry and varied program, we developed a reinforced concrete system with long-span flat slabs, shear walls, and transfer girders. The dormitory tower cantilevers over the classroom floors below, requiring careful load management between the podium and tower zones.
Preserving architectural intent, we closely coordinated slab edges and column locations with the angled façade and exposed interiors. The foundation consists of shallow spread footings bearing on dense urban fill, while a combination of shear walls and moment frames provide lateral resistance.
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