Project Highlights:

Just 15 minutes from Grand Central Terminal, Tower 56 houses 270 luxurious Manhattan condominiums. An extension of midtown Manhattan, this up-and-coming residential neighborhood is ideally located for commuters who desire a quick subway ride to their offices and their homes. This 50 story high-end residential building boasts panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline and the East River. State-of-the-art amenities include a swimming pool with retractable dome, a running track, and a spa and fitness center. Mehandes Engineering provided full MEP/FP services for this new development.

Design Considerations:

The design for Tower 56 called for elevated ceiling heights with full height window walls that maximize the panoramic views outside. To achieve this, the mechanical design incorporates vertical heat pump units that require no ductwork, thus keeping the ceilings high and clear. The units’ small footprints make it possible for the heat pump to be tucked away in any corner without disturbing spatial harmony.

Due to the building height of close to 700 feet, the exhaust risers sizes began to encroach on the architectural design. By dividing the building into upper and lower sections—each serviced by a dedicated set of exhaust fans—the shaft space requirements are nearly halved, providing more usable space at every floor.

Domestic water is heated by the space heating boilers through supply and return circulation loops, to indirect fired, storage water heaters. Domestic distribution piping temperatures are maintained through a zoned high-rise recirculation system that was invented by Mehandes Engineering’s Plumbing Director, Robert H. Thompson.