Structural Engineering

Our innovative structural engineering studio strives to overcome the physical limitations of sites while also meeting the requirements of each project. The studio works with our in-house architects, as well as with clients directly, to develop solutions to the full range of structural needs, in many cases creating new opportunities for the architect and project owner.

Featured Projects
Gateway Student Residence, MICA
In a heavily trafficked location bordering one of Baltimore’s main highways, a new, unconventional residential building meets the challenges of the small site, addresses the urban context and creates a fitting gateway to the art school’s campus. Conceived as the result of an RTKL interoffice design contest, the 100,000-SF structure provides a stunning new landmark for downtown Baltimore.
Warsaw Trade Tower
This mixed-use tower, which was commissioned by the Daewoo Corporation to serve as a signature headquarters building, has a complex geometry that structural designers responded to using a lateral load-resisting system with concrete core shearwalls and a perimeter structural steel “framed tube." Special consideration for Polish standards and extensive wind tunnel testing was also necessary.
Baltimore Hilton Convention Center Hotel
The new Hilton Baltimore will play a key role in the continued success of the Inner Harbor Entertainment and Convention Center District in downtown Baltimore. Split into two structures, the western 20-story tower includes the main lobby, grand ballroom, and L-shaped guest room tower. The three-story eastern portion engages the street and contains a variety of amenities.
Tysons Corner Center Expansion
The latest expansion to a booming Northern Virginia retail center required the conversion of an existing anchor space into retail space, dining and a cinema. To create a skylit, two-level galleria along the middle of the mall, extensive structural alterations, including new columns and foundations, were required. In addition, new 60’ long roof girders were installed by helicopter.
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
The design of the new underground Capitol Visitor Center included numerous structural challenges, including a new service tunnel beneath the existing Capitol subway tunnel; slurry wall construction that goes beyond the lowest floor into a layer of clay soil; and the design of the top-level structure to support helicopter landings and grandstands among other uses.
Bob Knight PE, Vice President
“We offer a full range of structural engineering services—from preliminary studies to construction documents to consultation on construction techniques—for a variety of project types, including office, mixed-use, secure government facilities, hotel and residential buildings, medical facilities and transportation. We work closely and collaboratively with our in-house architects to deliver RTKL’s comprehensive, highly integrated design services; but we also often function independently as a consulting engineering service to other architects, developers and clients.”