Upstate House

Murray Engineering

Presented by Staff  |  Fall 2020   |  Architects Guide

Who: Murray Engineering
Where: New York City and Rhinebeck
What: Structural Engineering for New Building Design, Renovations, and Historic Preservation

“As engineers, we’re hired to help architects turn their dreams into reality,” says Robert Murray, a structural and forensic engineer who’s run his own firm since 1998. “Sometimes, an architect comes to us with a creative and complex design idea, and they want us to help them make it work—lots of glass; lots of cantilevers; big, tall spaces. We make challenging projects look easy to build. And if we can find an easy way to build, it can cost less.”

Murray Engineering’s projects range across the construction and renovation spectrum, from mid-level high rises in Manhattan to single-family residences in the Hudson Valley and the Hamptons. The firm’s portfolio includes work on such iconic spaces as St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Astor Courts in Rhinebeck, the corporate office of Giorgio Armani in Manhattan, and the Maria Mitchell Observatory at Vassar College. “We’re diversified in our work, so everything we do carries over into other projects and makes all of our work stronger,” says Murray.

Murray Engineering collaborates with architects, home owners, contractors, and design consultants to devise innovative, cost-effective solutions to engineering problems—including new building design, and rehabilitation and historical preservation.

Despite his much-sought-after expertise working on larger commercial, residential, and institutional structures, Robert Murray has a passion for single-family construction. “It doesn’t get engineering attention normally,” says Murray. “No one wants to hire an engineer. Who wants to pay an engineer when you can use that money to buy granite countertops instead?” A well-timed consultation with an engineer, however, can save money upfront and aggravation down the line. “We help people avoid spending money they don’t have to, and help them do it right the first time,” says Murray. “It can be really expensive to fix buildings that leak and don’t perform well.”

Or not.

Case in point: Murray received a call recently from an anxious homeowner. There were structural issues with the homeowner’s 1962 ranch in Red Hook, and he was concerned that the cost of fixing the house would break the bank after a contractor had quoted him an exorbitant figure. Murray went out to take a look and found that extensive renovations were unnecessary. He explained to the homeowner how his building worked and what was needed to fix it simply and economically. “It’s a real joy to offer a solution to a client who thinks they have to engage in tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of work,” says Murray. “I love to help people spend their money well.”

Join the Conversation

Comments are closed.