Jeffrey Smilow Interview | Structures & Engineering Passion

Engineers love to dig into a problem and Jeffrey Smilow, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Building Structures, USA, explains why open-mindedness, collaboration and a passion for the craft are the pillars of success.

Global | 02 August 2023
Reading Time : 4 minutes

What traits are required for a career in engineering?

An important trait is being able to problem solve in a way that may challenge the rules. Engineers aren’t confined by the rules and don’t believe in ‘this doesn’t work’. You need to be prepared to really dig into a problem, explore solutions and find out what will work best.

It’s also important to be open-minded, inquisitive and collaborative. It’s not only about liking what you do, but having a real feeling for and sense of it.

Homing in on problem solving, can you tell us about the biggest technical challenge you have faced?

The most technically challenging project I’ve worked on is a 50-storey office called 55 Hudson Yards. This project broke all of the rules. Our client wanted a 100 per cent concrete building – unusual for a commercial building in New York at the time. We succeeded in implementing post tensioning in a unique way that proved to the construction industry that it is both viable and economic, and this started a trend.

Jeffrey has been involved with many of New York’s high-rise developments. Right to left: 55 Hudson Yards, 50 Hudson Yards and 66 Hudson Boulevard – The Spiral. Image courtesy of Tishman Speyer.

Jeffrey Smilow

Executive Vice President, Property & Buildings, Managing Director USA Building Structures

United States

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A baseball stadium for the New York Mets, which is a project that began in 2000 and extended over several years. This wasn’t a conventional building, and we faced a series of unique challenges. For example, we had to design the building structure in accordance with New York’s recently implemented seismic code, while still achieving the architectural intent. I enjoyed collaborating with the project team to overcome these challenges together.

Can you share your proudest achievement to date?

Following the World Trade Center attacks in New York in 2001, the neighboring buildings were severely damaged and on the verge of collapse. We were brought in to try to salvage one particular building that was 40 storeys high. Its collapse would have been disastrous. Our work included monitoring, reporting and calculations. First responders were on site working around us, and a storm was also coming which we had to prepare for. I’m proud of being part of this project – it was an important point in my career.

Jeffrey was the lead structural engineer for Citi Field, an award-winning, 45,000-capacity stadium for the New York Mets baseball team.

Jeffrey led the structural design of The Spiral, where every floor which opens out onto one of a series of landscaped terraces that spiral up the building.

What are you currently working on?

I’m working on a very tall building in New York City that is around 1,600 feet tall. It has a subway line that interferes with around 50 per cent of its foundations and a commuter rail line that interferes with another 20 per cent of the underground area beneath the site. So you’re not left with much free foundation area, which forces the design to span over the subways and there are limited ‘touchdown points’.

We’ve nicknamed these kinds of projects ‘overbuilds’ as we’re building over something. They tend to be the most interesting projects to work on as the structural design affects the whole building and there are so many challenges associated with inner city design to work through. This will be an exceptional project from both an engineering and a height standpoint, with truly innovative techniques and methodologies used to overcome site constraints.

What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing a career in engineering?

I remember being told early on that you’ll love what you do. I advise those interested in the business of engineering, such as the financial aspects, management of projects etc, to be the best that they can be at engineering first. A good engineer will always be indispensable.

What do you enjoy most about working at WSP?

This boils down to doing what we love to do. WSP enables engineers to work on what we love. Global scale, a diversity of operations and the sheer wealth of projects is unique to our business and affords exciting long-term career opportunities.