This engineer's concerns are quakes, quality.

WHEN Olive View hospital came tumbling down in the Sylmar earthquake in 1971, it made an indelible impression on Nabih Youssef's career path.

The Cairo native realized that in order to be a successful engineer he would need to draw on more than the classical architectural influences of his homeland--he would need to know the latest in technological advances of his adopted country.

Ultimately, Youssef relied on both skills in developing a reputation as one of the top engineers for designing mixed-use projects.

Since opening its doors in 1989, Youssef & Associates has accrued a resume of work rehabilitating and seismically retrofitting some of L.A.'s most cherished structures. That naturally led to work involving the adaptive reuse of older office buildings into mixed-use structures.

His firm has a reputation for applying the latest technology available in a way that is consistent with the building's original design. That resume includes the Metro 417 building, formerly known as the Subway Terminal building.

"Because of all the dements involved--the abandoned subway tunnel underneath the building, the two-story podium and the five independent wings of the building--that project was such a unique challenge," he said.

Best Engineering Firm

Nabih Youssef & Associates Nabih Youssef, principal

Born: Cairo, Egypt, 1944

Accomplishments: Worked on scores of mixed-use projects, including the Metro 417 building, formerly known as the Subway Terminal building. Also retrofits of L.A. City Hall and the L.A. Coliseum.

Quote: "It's easy to make a big concrete building that can withstand the dynamic forces of an earthquake. The challenge comes when you have to make that big concrete building look good."