DeSimone Consulting Engineering has earned recognition for its contribution to redefining the skyline of Nashville, Tennessee, from the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) for the structural design of the Alcove residential tower. Administered annually by NCSEA, the prestigious SEE Awards program honors projects that showcase ingenuity, technical skill, and groundbreaking design in the field.

Alcove, a first-of-its-kind luxury residential tower, rises 34-stories and 419 feet over Nashville, features 356 apartment units, and hosts a variety of exterior amenities, including a clear-bottomed pool at the top of the building—the highest in Nashville.

Alcove also earned DeSimone global recognition from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats (CTBUH) with a 2024 Award of Excellence for Best Tall Building in the 100–199-meter category last month, marking the first time a Nashville property has been recognized by the organization. The Structural Engineering Association of Illinois (SEAOI) presented Alcove with a Merit of Excellence award as well.

The building’s design features an imaginative stacked and shifted cube design that defines four spectacular open-air alcoves across the structure. This offset stacking introduced unique structural engineering challenges, which required careful structural analysis to ensure stability, as the building’s site was very narrow. To accommodate the unique Alcove geometry, DeSimone used numerous differently sized, post-tensioned concrete floor plates where the alcoves created openings within the varying tiers. The alternating floor stacks also created the need for cantilevered, downturned concrete overhangs, or “mini roofs,” at the alcove floors to complete the transition. 

“DeSimone has provided structural engineering and related services for some of the world’s most complex and recognizable structures,” said Stephen DeSimone, Chairman and CEO of DeSimone Consulting Engineering. “It has been an honor to work with developer Giarratana and architects Goettsch Partners on Alcove and other signature projects in Nashville, including the recently completed Prime residential tower across the street from Alcove, and the forthcoming Paramount tower, which is slated to be Nashville’s tallest building.”

The landmark design by Goettsch Partners (GP) also presented wind load challenges for the DeSimone structural design team. Because the design involves a shifting center of mass, DeSimone engaged in enhanced modeling to predict the building’s behavior under these dynamic loads—ensuring that it can flex and absorb forces without excessive sway or damage.

John Viise, DeSimone Managing Principal and leader of the Alcove project, said, “The DeSimone team thrives on meeting complex technical challenges such as those we encountered in designing the structure for Alcove. Our engineers excel in bringing innovative structural solutions to ensure the buildings we design with our architectural partners can be safe, resilient, and visually stunning.”

Foundation work is already underway for the new Paramount residential tower at 1010 Church St., for which DeSimone is also structural engineer. Another partnership of Giarratana LLC and Goettsch Partners, the 60-story tower will rise 750 feet, with construction scheduled to start later this year and completion expected in 2027.

Alcove Building Team:
Developer: Giarratana
Design Architect and Architect of Record: Goettsch Partners
MEP Engineer: Bala Consulting Engineers
Structural Engineer: DeSimone Consulting Engineering
General Contractor: Brasfield & Gorrie
Main Contractor: AECOM Hunt