Make It in Brooklyn Tenant Profile: HATCH 

Hatch Ltd. is a global architecture and engineering firm that has shaped urban infrastructure for nearly seven decades. What began as a tunneling design firm in Canada during the 1950s has evolved into a worldwide operation with 675 offices specializing in infrastructure, energy, and mining/metals. Their work transforms cities through complex projects that often take years from conception to completion.  

DBP visited their Downtown Brooklyn office to discover how Hatch is contributing to New York’s urban development. 

Operations and Services

In New York, Hatch focuses on the Northeastern United States market through three main practices. 

Their transit practice handles vehicle engineering, procurement assistance, specifications, and factory inspections. Notable work includes the R211 Open Gangway subway cars recently launched on the C and G lines, plus other standard cars, including the R179 and R188. 

Their Ports and Terminals practice serves the Northeast, including NYC, Philadelphia, and Boston. 

Hatch also includes Urban Solutions, an advisory practice providing management consulting services dedicated to solving urban challenges. The practice includes place-makers, planners, and urban designers who examine opportunities in the urban environment, economists who analyze real estate trends and market analysis, and social impact specialists who study how investments and developments affect communities. 

The company maintains a presence in several cities, conducting research and community outreach. As Eugenia Di Girolamo, Global Director for Urban Regeneration, said: 

“Hatch’s presence across the country enables certain branches to serve as liaisons to local communities. This is one of Hatch’s strengths, as it informs our projects. We do our research beforehand, but there is nothing like walking the streets and talking to the people, even when we are responding to RFPs, but we are selective in where we want to work.” 

Urban Solutions complements infrastructure teams by bringing perspectives of people, place, and prosperity through their “triple bottom line” approach. They collaborate with technical teams while also conducting straightforward market analysis. Services include master planning in terminal ports, land use planning, financial analysis, and site selection work. 

Key Projects

The R211 subway car project, a notable project, where Hatch acts as the owner’s representative for NYC Transit, helping develop specifications and managing procurement while providing full engineering design services, including heating, cooling, and mechanical systems, with priorities on reliability and sustainability. 

Another major project was the 30-year master plan for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 2019, which combined the Ports and Terminals and Urban Solutions teams to provide a decision-making roadmap for overall port complex capacity, considering stakeholders and regulations. 

Hatch worked with EDC on the Blue Highway Initiative in Hunts Point, helping create concepts for facilities leveraging wholesale vendors in meat, fish, and produce. They also developed the master plan for the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, incorporating blue highways, focusing on infrastructure leverage, operational densification, port facility greening, and equipment electrification. This included considering EV evolution in trucking and marine terminal charging capabilities for decarbonization efforts. This project aims to enhance the quality of life for New Yorkers through waterfront regeneration, reclaiming 520 miles of coastline, including ports, new public spaces, and waterfront developments. 

Why Downtown Brooklyn?

For Hatch, their Adams Street location provides proximity to key clients, including the MTA and EDC. The team values the location’s transportation access and food options, with the office view being particularly attractive. As Eugenia and Office Manager, Joshua Nelson note: 

“There seems to be a concentration of design and creative firms, big and small, we can walk over to their offices and it’s cool to be a part of that and be able to run into them. It makes the neighborhood feel special…. Being close to clients and partners is important, it makes for good work, it gives our practice and inspires our creativity.” 

^{Why Downtown Brooklyn? The view, for one.}

Hatch Ltd.’s presence in Downtown Brooklyn exemplifies how global firms can successfully integrate into local communities while maintaining their international reach. Through their presence at 335 Adams Street, the company has positioned itself at the heart of New York’s urban development ecosystem, fostering meaningful partnerships and delivering transformative infrastructure projects. From modernizing subway systems to reimagining waterfront spaces, Hatch continues to shape the future of New York City while contributing to the vibrant creative community that makes Downtown Brooklyn a hub for innovative urban solutions. 

If you have a company and are looking to find space in Downtown Brooklyn, please contact realestate@downtownbrooklyn.com.