FEATURED PROJECTS

The qualifications and background of AK Engineering supports the firm’s success in providing a full range of DOB-required special/progress inspections for all types of industries and architectural environments in New York City.

AK Engineering provides Special Inspections within a wide scope of industries ranging from financial, media, legal and retail to real estate management, hospitality and higher education.

AK Engineering has continued to build impressive client and project rosters since inception. Included among its many notable clients are H&M, Trader Joe’s, Cushman & Wakefield, The Blackstone Group, NBA, MLB, Marriott, Viacom, KPMG, Equinox, Joe & the Juice, KKR, Core Power Yoga and Peloton, to name just a few.

Restaurants & Commercial Kitchens

Starbucks Roastery NYC

Starbucks Reserve Roastery NYC brings the American coffee company’s great passion for coffee to the greatest city in the world. The excitability of New York City drew Starbucks to open a roastery in the meatpacking district of Chelsea, marking the company’s fourth roastery worldwide and second location in the U.S. AK Engineering is proud to share its partnership with Starbucks as the special inspection agency hired for the flagship store at 61 Ninth Avenue. The 23,000 square foot space on the corner of 9th Avenue and 15th Street houses an exciting design that includes two coffee bars, an experience bar, a craft cocktail bar, a boutique bakery, a tasting room and expansive seating areas. The centerpieces for the impressive project include fully operational coffee roasters and silos, where every day Starbucks Master Roasters make small batch coffee roasts. Each reserve coffee bean is expertly hand selected from its origin to confirm it meets the quality and ethical sourcing standards that Starbucks lives by. The functional space was designed for an immersive customer experience. The project included a new commercial kitchen, a complex flue system for the roasters, structural infrastructure for the mezzanine and split-level areas and coordination for all new MEP components within the public assembly space. AK Engineering worked closely with the team to confirm that all inspections were conducted within the building code standards and ensure the project was completed on schedule.

Retail

Nike Flagship NYC

AK Engineering was hired to conduct special inspection services for Nike’s Flagship Store located at 650 Fifth Avenue. The six-story, 68,000 square foot store on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 52nd street provides the “Ultimate Immersive Nike Shopping Experience”. The project was designed to provide the customer with a personal and responsive experience. The store features The Nike Speed Shop, Sneaker Bar, Live Store, digital commerce data area, Arena, a Sneaker Lab and Expert Studio, all locations that allow consumers to seamlessly shop and customize products. The retail areas that span each of the six floors are connected by several decorative convenience stairs and four new elevators. The facility was equipped with cutting edge technology and sustainable and energy efficient MEP systems. The new infrastructure provided many challenges for the massive project that was completed within an impressive 18-month schedule that allowed the store to open right in time for the holiday season in 2018. AK Engineering expertly guided the team through the inspection and sign off process to allow the project to be completed on time and in compliance with the latest building code regulations.

Retail

H&M Times Square

H&M is a leading fashion company with approximately 3,300 stores in 54 countries. Its first store opened in Västerås, Sweden in 1947. The retailer’s United States debut took place on New York’s Fifth Avenue in 2000. And when H&M more recently decided to open a new flagship store in the heart of Times Square, the company turned to AK Engineering for conducting and coordinating all required Special/Progress Inspections. Completed in December 2013, the project included a total renovation of multiple floors encompassing 50,000 square feet, which constituted an entirely new, three-story storefront system with all related structural support. The space at 4 Times Square was completely renovated and all mechanical, electrical, plumbing and sprinkler infrastructure and related components were replaced. Other structural modifications included new framing for floor openings to accommodate new escalators and extending of the mezzanine level. The successful completion of inspections and related coordination with the project team has inspired the relationship between AK Engineering at H&M to include additional projects of similar size and scope at the World Trade Center, 589 Fifth Avenue, 111 Fifth Avenue, Herald Square and Soho locations.