Jaros, Baum & Bolles

Jaros, Baum & Bolles Consulting Engineers, LLP
Practice information
Firm typeEngineering Consulting
Partners
  • Mark R. Torre (Managing Partner)
  • Scott E. Frank (Managing Partner)
  • Walter J. Mehl, Jr. (Managing Partner)
  • Brendan P. Weiden
  • Christopher J. Prochner
  • Richard M. McFadden
  • Anthony M. Montalto
  • Brian T. Towers
  • John P. Koch
Founders
  • Alfred Jaros
  • Albert Baum
Founded1915
Location
Significant works and honors
Buildings
Website
www.jbb.com

Jaros, Baum & Bolles Consulting Engineers, LLP (JB&B) is an American MEP (Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) and consulting engineering firm founded in 1915 by Alfred L. Jaros, Jr. and Albert L. Baum.[1] The firm is best known for high-rise projects, including One World Trade Center[2] and Hudson Yards in New York City,[3] the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) in Chicago,[4] and the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong.[5] In 2020, JB&B was named New York's Design Firm of the Year by Engineering-News Record magazine.[6]

History

In 1915, mechanical engineers Alfred L. Jaros, Jr. and Albert L. Baum, recent graduates of Columbia University's engineering program, left their internships with a large consulting firm and founded Jaros and Baum. In 1932, Frederick Bolles joined them, bringing plumbing design to the firm. The company's longevity has allowed it to claim a number of engineering firsts, including what is believed to be the first sprinkler system for a high-rise building (Willis Tower, opened as the Sears Tower in 1974) and the first high-speed elevators (original World Trade Center in New York City, opened 1973).[7][8] In February 2022, the firm created the Deep Carbon Reduction Group, which helps building owners and operators navigate new policies and regulations for reducing carbon emissions in urban settings.[9]

JB&B’s work at 555 Greenwich Street in New York City includes a Nordic-inspired geothermal heating and cooling system that will use 40% less energy than an average large office building in the city.[10][11] Completed in 2023, the 16-story office tower’s HVAC system employs geothermal wells, dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) units, radiant heating and cooling, and a control system that ties it together. Heat from underground travels through water in pipes to the roof, where additional air source heat pumps extract heat from the air. The system can also run in the opposite direction to provide cooling.[12] Designed and built in conjunction with COOKFOX Architects and AECOM Tishman for Hines Interests Limited Partnership and Hudson Square Properties,[13] the project is intended to meet New York City’s Local Law 97 of 2019, passed as a part of the Climate Mobilization Act by the New York City Council in March 2019. The tower is fully electrified with no fossil fuel use on site for any purpose. Even though it uses electricity to heat the building, it will use 40% less electricity than comparable commercial properties.[14]

Selected projects

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ Yeboah, Jennifer (2015-10-08). "5 Ways JB&B is Building NYC's Future". The Hundred Year Association. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
  2. ^ Dunlap, David W. (2010-09-03). "World Trade Center Complex Is Rising Rapidly". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
  3. ^ "Meet Our Team | Hudson Yards". Hudson Yards. 2016-08-24. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
  4. ^ "Willis Tower - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
  5. ^ "Jaros, Baum & Bolles - The Skyscraper Center". skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
  6. ^ "NY Construction Central | Engineering News-Record". www.enr.com. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
  7. ^ "Engineering Firm Focuses On the Future of Design | 2020-05-12 | Engineering News-Record". www.enr.com. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
  8. ^ Ross, Wendy (1995-03-21). "THE RISE-BUT RARELY THE FALL-OF THE ELEVATOR". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
  9. ^ "Molly Dee-Ramasamy". Getting to Zero Forum. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
  10. ^ "Re-Setting Manhattan's Sustainable Standard | Engineering News-Record". www.enr.com. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  11. ^ "Sixteen-story office tower will use 40% less energy than an average NYC office building". Building Design + Construction. 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  12. ^ Peters, Adele (May 10, 2023). "The secret behind New York's most energy-efficient new office building". Fast Company. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  13. ^ Williams, Taylor (2023-01-06). "Hudson Square Properties Nears Completion of 270,000 SF Spec Office Project in Manhattan". REBusinessOnline. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  14. ^ Young, Michael; Pruznick, Matt (2023-04-26). "555 Greenwich Nears Completion in Hudson Square, Manhattan". New York YIMBY. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  15. ^ Kohn, A. Eugene (2019). The World by Design: The Story of a Global Architecture Firm. New York, NY: Rosetta Books. pp. Acknowledgements, Page 3. ISBN 978-1-9481-2249-8.