5 EAST 57TH STREET SCOPE . fire protection system pursuant to Local Law 26 requirements PROJECT COST . Home / Commercial 5 EAST 57TH STREET ARCHITECT . PROJECT SIZE . 49,000 SF PROJECT COST . SCOPE . fire protection system pursuant to Local Law 26 requirements Go Go 5 East 57th Street is an existing 22-storey 49,000 SF commercial high rise building. The stretch of East 57th Street was once an exclusive residential neighborhood with opulent mansions owned by bankers and industrialists. But by early century, most of the millionaires moved further uptown and the area greatly changed. Number 5 was among 14 sites acquired by William Randolph Hearst and Arthur Brisbane in 1925 with a view to erect a group of commercial structures along east 57th and east 54th streets. The plans for a 247-foot-tall tower were drawn up in 1926 by a prolific New York city architect Emery Roth. The building was designed as of a mix of Gothic and Art Deco style with exaggerated setbacks. In June 2004, the 1968 NYC Building Code was amended with the signing of Local Law 26 of 2004. The new law mandated retroactive requirements for a full system of automatic sprinklers to be installed in office buildings 100 feet or more in height and buildings classified in occupancy group E 100 feet or more in height. Altera Engineering was retained by the owners of 5 East 57th Street to retrofit the building with a modern fire protection system pursuant to Local Law 26 requirements. The first challenge had to do with an interpretation of the mandate in a way as to not burden the owners with onerous system design. In other words, any proposed system had to be right-sized for the project and in accordance with NFPA 13 and NFPA 20. Another- greater- challenge was in fitting a new fire pump, all new sprinkler risers, piping, and heads into the existing shafts, ceilings and walls, while carrying out the work around the existing rent paying tenants. Following a comprehensive survey, Altera Engineering engineers worked with the property manager to develop a floor-by-floor phasing schedule. Fire pump and main riser were installed in phase I. Floor fit outs were carried out in subsequent phases as the floors became accessible.

THE COLONY CLUB SCOPE . Design, approvals and construction administration of mechanical, plumbing, sprinkler, electrical and fire alarm systems. PROJECT COST . Home / Commercial THE COLONY CLUB ARCHITECT . Li · Saltzman Architects, PC PROJECT SIZE . PROJECT COST . SCOPE . Design, approvals and construction administration of mechanical, plumbing, sprinkler, electrical and fire alarm systems. Go Go The Colony Club is a women-only private social club in New York City. Founded in 1903 by Florence Jaffray Harriman, wife of J. Borden Harriman, as the first social club established in New York City by and for women, it was modeled on similar gentlemen's clubs. Today, men are admitted as guests. The Club presently has approximately 2,500 members who have access to discussions, concerts, and wellness and athletic programs. The Clubhouse is renowned for its classical proportions, sophisticated detailing, and graceful interiors. The building is approximately 80,000 square feet and consists of seven stories, 25 guest bedrooms, three dining rooms, two ballrooms, a lounge, a squash court, an indoor pool, a fitness facility and three personal spa service rooms. Annual gross revenues are more than $10 million.

233 BUTLER STREET, GOWANUS, BROOKLYN SCOPE . HVAC, sprinkler, plumbing and electrical power, fire alarm design and construction administration PROJECT COST . WITHHELD Home / Commercial 233 BUTLER STREET, GOWANUS, BROOKLYN ARCHITECT . Union Street Studio PROJECT SIZE . 8,000 GSF PROJECT COST . WITHHELD SCOPE . HVAC, sprinkler, plumbing and electrical power, fire alarm design and construction administration Go Go The 104-year-old building at 233 Butler St., between Nevins and Bond streets, was the headquarters of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York from 1913 to 1979. The 2-story 8,000 SF building was designed in Renaissance Revival style by Renwick, Aspinwall & Tucker. The building was purchased in 2016 by a group of developers and Altera Engineering was retained to assist in upgrade, enlargement and repositioning of the property to several unique food and beverage uses such as Public Records - a Hi-Fi Cafe, Bar and Sound Room. Altera Engineering provided MEP engineering design and approval services, working closely with architects and owners to upgrade building’s infrastructure and integrate state-of-the-art mechanical systems into the existing historic shell. To more precisely match occupancy profiles, mechanical systems for the dance club included a primary dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) with heat recovery, and a secondary high efficiency variable refrigeration system.

621 WEST 55TH STREET SCOPE . full MEP design and construction administration services PROJECT COST . Home / Commercial 621 WEST 55TH STREET ARCHITECT . PROJECT SIZE . 22,000 SF PROJECT COST . SCOPE . full MEP design and construction administration services Go Go A 22,000 square foot ground up high rise commercial office building in New York city. This boutique building contains 8 full floor offices above a 3-level parking garage. 621 West 55th Street is being designed to meet US Passive House Institute standards for energy efficiency. Passive House standard emphasizes air-tight, continuously insulated building envelope without thermal bridges, high performance windows and balanced heat and moisture recovery ventilation. Passive House buildings are expected to consume 75-90% less energy than traditional buildings. The biggest challenge for MEP systems was to minimize the impact of the high rise MEP system requirements on an relatively small floor plate (2,400 SF). A fire protection tank, standpipe, generator, ventilation systems all eat up valuable floor area and the project becomes less financially viable. The Altera Engineering team worked closely with the architect to optimize MEP systems to achieve the largest possible usable area. The building is cooled and heated with a variable-refrigerant system. Packaged rooftop energy recovery ventilator filtered and conditioned fresh air directly into each office in a continuous ventilation cycle. MEP systems include a 150-kW emergency generator with a diesel tank, an underground suction tank for fire protection, and reversible air-flow parking garage exhaust system with post-fire smoke purge functionality.

EAST 55TH STREET SCOPE . Full MEP/FP design PROJECT COST . Home / Commercial EAST 55TH STREET ARCHITECT . Fortebis Group . Issac Stern Architects PROJECT SIZE . 8,500 SF PROJECT COST . SCOPE . Full MEP/FP design Go Go A full gut renovation of an existing commercial building for a premier retail brand.

CITY POINT TOWER PHASE ONE SCOPE . Energy Code Progress Inspections PROJECT COST . $ 110 million Home / Commercial CITY POINT TOWER PHASE ONE ARCHITECT . SCLE PROJECT SIZE . 270,000 SF PROJECT COST . $ 110 million SCOPE . Energy Code Progress Inspections Go Go City Point Tower 1 is one part of 1.8 million square foot development of new construction, including retail, residential, entertainment, and office space spurred by 2004 Downtown Brooklyn Plan. The City Point project sits on City-owned property at a highly visible location along Flatbush Avenue and serves as a gateway to the Downtown area. Bordered by Flatbush Avenue, Gold Street, and Dekalb Avenue. Tower 1 is a mixed-income 19-story 251-unit residential tower above a four floor retail podium.

THE CHIEF CLUBHOUSE SCOPE . Design, approvals and construction administration of mechanical, plumbing, sprinkler, electrical and fire alarm systems. PROJECT COST . Home / Commercial THE CHIEF CLUBHOUSE ARCHITECT . PROJECT SIZE . PROJECT COST . SCOPE . Design, approvals and construction administration of mechanical, plumbing, sprinkler, electrical and fire alarm systems. Go Go "Stereotypically male design accents" have been reinterpreted inside Chief, a homey private club for women in senior positions, which has opened in New York City's TriBeCa neighborhood. The Lower Manhattan clubhouse provides a hub for Chief – an exclusive organization launched earlier this year as a community for female executives to connect and learn from one another. Chief members are leaders in technology, retail, finance, media and publishing, among other fields, with many hailing from major companies like HBO, Spotify, We Work, PepsiCo, AmEx, Away and Hearst.

DUTCH KILLS OFFICE BUILDING SCOPE . MEP design and NYSERDA rebate assistance. Full MEP/FP design, special and progress inspections PROJECT COST . $18,000,000 Home / Commercial DUTCH KILLS OFFICE BUILDING ARCHITECT . Laufs Engineering Design PROJECT SIZE . 43,000 GDF PROJECT COST . $18,000,000 SCOPE . MEP design and NYSERDA rebate assistance. Full MEP/FP design, special and progress inspections Go Go A Class A 43,000 SF ground-up commercial office building designed to accommodate a variety of uses, from film production to events spaces. Building’s envelope and mechanical systems were designed to meet NYSERDA commercial building program performance requirements of 15% better than energy code. To allow for a degree of flexibility in building uses, the project’s heating and cooling source was conceived as a water loop consisting of a 90-ton cooling tower, variable speed pumps and high efficiency condensing boilers. Each floor/space was provided with high efficiency water-source heat pumps. The building was envisioned as ‘cogen-ready’ and was designed with a single master meter to allow future behind the meter tie-in. Each floor was provided with 3-phase 400 amp power.

The Altera team assists architects and designers with MEP, HVAC, Electrical, Fire Protection, Plumbing and Sanitary Engineering, Special and Progress Inspections Build With Us Go We are passionate about buildings and the transformative impact they have on people and communities. Our mission is to collaborate closely with designers, architects, and owners from the earliest stages of every project, integrating innovative and energy-efficient systems that enhance, rather than distract from, the architectural vision. At Altera Engineering, we pride ourselves on innovation, precision, and a commitment to sustainability. We push the boundaries of engineering technology, exploring new materials, energy-saving strategies, and smart building systems that reduce environmental impact and enhance long-term operational efficiency. Every project we undertake reflects our dedication to engineering excellence, attention to detail, and delivering results that inspire pride in both our clients and ourselves. We believe that thoughtful engineering is about more than meeting technical requirements—it’s about crafting solutions that blend form, function, and sustainability. Our approach prioritizes seamless coordination between mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems to ensure they work in harmony with the design intent, creating spaces that are not only beautiful but also highly functional, comfortable, and efficient. Our passion is building better, smarter, and more beautiful environments. Together with our partners, we strive to create spaces that elevate the human experience, enhance the built world, and set new standards for design-driven engineering. Build with us! Go Featured Projects With decades of experience in engineering complex and inspiring projects, Altera Engineering understands that every building presents unique challenges and opportunities. By engaging early in the design process, we can anticipate potential obstacles, offer practical, cost-effective solutions, and optimize system performance while maximizing usable space. We prioritize clear communication, transparency about design trade-offs, and delivering on time all essential factors in driving project success.

AU CHEVAL NEW YORK SCOPE . assisted client with negotiation of commercial lease term, provided full MEP design and construction administration services, carried out NYC Special and Progress Inspections PROJECT COST . $ 2.5 million Home / Commercial AU CHEVAL NEW YORK ARCHITECT . Stephen Jacobs Group PC PROJECT SIZE . 5,700 GSF PROJECT COST . $ 2.5 million SCOPE . assisted client with negotiation of commercial lease term, provided full MEP design and construction administration services, carried out NYC Special and Progress Inspections Go Go A gut renovation of cellar and ground floors in an existing landmarked building to accommodate a new restaurant. Arguably the best burger in America is coming to New York. A diner-style bar and restaurant with a passion for eggs, Au Cheval elevates traditional diner fare. Guests can indulge in dishes ranging from chopped chicken liver and roasted bone marrow, to traditional sandwiches, egg-focused entrees, and the signature cheeseburger. The dimly lit restaurant, designed with a vintage reel-to-reel soundtrack, will feature dark leather booths, dark wood paneling, and a zinc bar wrapped around the open kitchen. The project involved a full floor gut renovation. The design incorporates variable air volume mechanical ventilation system for kitchen exhaust hoods totaling over 40 feet in length. INTERIOR DESIGNER | Martin Brudnizki Design Studio

2 BUSHWICK AVENUE SCOPE . Design, approvals and construction administration of mechanical, plumbing, sprinkler, electrical and fire alarm systems. PROJECT COST . Home / Commercial 2 BUSHWICK AVENUE ARCHITECT . PROJECT SIZE . 14,000 SF PROJECT COST . SCOPE . Design, approvals and construction administration of mechanical, plumbing, sprinkler, electrical and fire alarm systems. Go Go 2 Bushwick Avenue is a 14,000 SF ground up retail and office building being constructed on a site of a former gas station and auto repair shop. The corner site sits in a prime location of a rapidly gentrifying creative hipster mecca. The developers were interested in attracting local nascent businesses by creating affordable flexible spaces. Before commencing with design, Altera Engineering engaged with the owners and architects in the programming phase, to understand how the property will be positioned in the market and who will be the target tenants. The early-phase involvement informed the selection of suitable MEP systems. With careful system selection and sizing, the design team was able to strike a balance between considerations for the first cost, ease-of-use, flexibility and “curb” appeal to prospective tenants.

The Altera team assists architects and designers with HVAC, Electrical, Fire Protection, Plumbing and Sanitary Engineering, Special and Progress Inspections How may we help you? Get In Touch FIRST NAME LAST NAME EMAIL* MESSAGE Submit