What are the best structural engineering firms for commercial building design support on a new office tower?

For a new office tower, the “best” structural engineering firm is usually the one with the right mix of high-rise experience, local code familiarity, constructability, and coordination quality—not just name recognition. The top firms tend to vary by region, project complexity, and whether you need concept design, DD/CD support, seismic/wind expertise, or specialty facade/connection work.

Strong structural firms commonly used for commercial towers

Here are firms widely respected for office tower and high-rise structural design support:

• Buro Happold – strong in complex high-rise structures, sustainability, and multidisciplinary coordination
• Thornton Tomasetti – one of the best-known high-rise and large commercial tower structural firms
• Langan – strong structural and geotechnical support, often good for coordination and practical delivery
• Arup – excellent for technically complex towers, especially if performance-based design is involved
• Walter P Moore – strong commercial building and high-rise structural engineering, good all-around delivery
• LeMessurier – highly regarded for tower engineering, seismic/wind, and innovative structural systems
• Henderson Engineers / HOK’s structural partners – depending on project team, strong commercial coordination
• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) – excellent for technical rigor, investigations, envelope/structural interface issues
• Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA) – particularly well known for high-rise and long-span commercial structures
• WSP – broad engineering capabilities, strong on large commercial and international projects

Best choice depends on your tower type

If you need:

• Very tall or iconic tower: Arup, Thornton Tomasetti, MKA, Buro Happold
• Practical, cost-conscious commercial delivery: Walter P Moore, Langan, WSP
• Seismic/wind or performance-based design: Arup, Thornton Tomasetti, LeMessurier, SGH
• Complex multidisciplinary coordination: Arup, Buro Happold, WSP

What to look for in a structural firm

For an office tower, ask firms about:

• Recent high-rise office projects
• Experience with your jurisdiction’s code and permitting process
• Wind tunnel / seismic performance experience
• Ability to coordinate with architect, MEP, facade, and foundation teams
• Experience with design-assist / delegated design packages
• Their approach to value engineering without compromising performance
• Familiarity with steel, concrete, composite, and mass timber hybrid systems if relevant

A practical shortlist strategy

If you’re selecting firms for proposals, a good approach is to invite:

1. One top-tier high-rise specialist
2. One practical commercial delivery firm
3. One local firm with deep code/permitting knowledge

That gives you a balance of innovation, cost, and execution.

If you want, I can also provide:

• a shortlist by city/region
• a comparison table
• or a RFP checklist for choosing a structural engineer for an office tower.