We’re excited to announce that Murray Engineering is now an Accelerator Partner. Since its founding in 1998 by Robert Murray, P.E., the firm has been guided by his passion for Building Science, leading to the development of durable structural designs with a strong focus on conscientious constructability. Their collaborative approach with architects ensures that projects meet performance and sustainability goals while also staying on budget and on schedule. Murray’s core services encompass new building design, historic preservation, and the retrofitting, alteration, and analysis of existing structures. In New York City, they also assist building owners in navigating local regulations, including Façade Inspection Safety Program (formerly known as Local Law 11) and Periodic Inspection of Parking Structures per Article 323 of Local Law 126 and RCNY 103-13 compliance.
Murray Engineering Becomes Accelerator Partner!
Spotlight on Bethany Terraces
A Blue Ribbon Award winner of the Second Round of NYSERDA's Buildings of Excellence Competition, the 39,200-square-foot Bethany Terraces Senior Houses has brought 58 units of much-needed affordable housing to Central Brooklyn.
One of the most impressive features of Bethany Terraces is its modular design, which dramatically reduced onsite construction time and costs. The building went from foundation to being topped out in just 2 weeks!
When paired with Passive House principles, modular construction has the potential to quickly create more affordable and resilient housing in places like NYC.
Developer: Riseboro Community Partnership
Architect: Paul A. Castrucci Architects
Bethany Terraces is a design certified Phius project
The firm is based in New York City with offices in Rhinebeck, NY. They are licensed in multiple states and have worked throughout the United States and internationally. The scope of projects has been diverse, and includes commercial, residential, cultural, and institutional as well as special structures. Murray has worked with private developers, residential and commercial building owners, governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, and even artists.
Despite working with so many types of clients, the one constant that has guided Murray is that frictionless collaboration is an absolute necessity if the team is to deliver the client’s vision and realize the project’s full potential. Murray joins forces with the entire design team—architects, specialty consultants, and contractors—to solve complex design problems creatively and efficiently.
Spotlight on Linden Grove
A winner of the First Round of the Buildings of Excellence Competition, Linden Grove also used modular design.
Linden Grove was recently completed and creates 153 residential units of affordable housing for low-income and formerly homeless seniors in Brooklyn.
Designed by Chris Benedict and developed by Blue Sea Development and Gilbane Development Company, the 13-story building is pursuing multiple certifications, including Phius, LEED Platinum, and Fitwel.
Photography by Henry Gifford
In addition to conventional structural engineering practices, Murray has been proactive in adopting innovative technologies to enhance building performance. More than a decade ago, they recognized the potential of Passive House design principles and collaborated with developer Steven Bluestone on a pioneering project in Hillsdale, NY, that seriously embraced these principles.
More recently, Murray has worked with teams that are reducing embodied carbon within the built environment and using modular construction to erect Passive House buildings. As an illustration of the former, Murray has worked with the developer Frame Home to create two CLT multifamily buildings in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill, Frame 122 and Frame 283. Frame 122 is featured in the March edition of Architectural Record. With respect to the latter, Murray has worked on two recently completed modular buildings in Brooklyn that are also winners of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Buildings of Excellence Competition. These include Linden Grove and Bethany Terraces.
Visit Murray's website to learn more! You can also follow Murray on Instagram and LinkedIn to learn more about their projects and team!
Spotlight on Frame 283
Frame 283 in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn is the first cross laminated timber (CLT) building to be built in New York City.
The five story, 16,000-square-foot mixed-use building, utilized a combination of CLT timber bearing walls with a conventional concrete shear wall system, exposed CLT columns, CLT floor slabs that cantilever as exterior balcony slabs, and Nudura Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) walls for the exterior walls.
In addition to lowering its embodied carbon through the use of CLT, Frame 283 is also Passive House certified.
Developer: Frame Home
Architect: Loadingdock5
Photography: Raimund Koch
Spotlight on Frame 122
Building on the success of its predecessor, Frame 283, Frame 122 is the first CLT residential project constructed under the 2022 NYC Building Code, which formally recognized it as a permitted material.
Frame 122 is also constructed according to Passive House standards, ensuring maximum energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact, with beautiful exposed CLT for floors and ceilings and exposed glulam (another mass timber product), for beams and columns.
The 15 residential units, which include both two- and three-bedroom apartments, feature solar arrays that power much of the building, while triple-pane windows and high-performance insulation help to maintain temperature control and reduce heating and cooling costs.
Developer: Frame Home
Architect: Brent Buck Architects
Builder: CM and Associates
Mass Timber Supplier: Element5
Photography: Christopher Sturman
Accelerator Partners are Passive House practitioners who share our commitment to building better, building cleaner, and sharing knowledge about Passive House methodologies with wider audiences. They allow us to reach new builders, developers, architects, and policymakers who want the benefits associated with Passive House construction (lower energy bills, a continuous supply of filtered air, more durable construction, and happier occupants!), but have yet to learn that there are passive design principles and established, performance-based building standards that can provide them.
If you want to learn how to become an Accelerator Partner, please email [email protected] to see how you can help us accelerate the wider adoption of passive design and construction!