It’s hard to imagine who, if it was viable, wouldn’t want a roof deck or a balcony on their property in New York; an outdoor oasis, way above the craziness below. Co-ops, or apartment owners, seeking an opportunity to create that rare thing in a city: open space, maybe with a view. Or commercial building owners, wanting to add value to their office space by offering a roof terrace, a green roof, or a balcony on a setback. But will the building support it? CANY’s Roof Deck Analysis service will help you find out.
At CANY, our engineers are the first people to consult to determine if an idea will work, either by using the existing structure, adapting what’s there, or having a complete re-think. We understand buildings, figuring out how they were originally built and what’s required to bring them up to the demands of modern-day life.
Our engineering team will determine the load, the demands required of a structure to support people, planting and the paraphernalia associated with outdoor living. We understand the building codes, and what’s needed engineering-wise to make a viable, occupiable safe space. Whether that’s a balcony for a single family, an environmentally beneficial green roof, or a roof terrace for an entire office block that needs the space to function as an assembly point for everyone as well as a great place to take a beat.
Roof deck analysis is all about balance. What capacity is required, what load can the structure hold, what needs to be achieved and how the dead and live load interplay with one another. To find that balance, the structure needs to be thoroughly investigated, each steel, concrete or wood supporting member assessed, usually using probes, and whether the whole is sufficient to support the desired space. Once that has been determined, and decisions made about what needs to happen next, the numbers are calculated to see what’s attainable.
Working with the client and their architect to find the best way of complying with the building code is just one part of Roof Deck Analysis at CANY. The other is optimizing opportunities to create safe outdoor spaces that meet clients’ demands, enhance the life of the building and positively contribute to the built environment of New York.
