New York's Green Building History

A City Of Firsts: New York's Green Building Pioneers

The LEED Gold rated Solaire is the first green residential high-rise in North America.

New York's first comprehensive green building project was a series of renovations to the historic Schermerhorn Building in 1992. The seminal New York-based firm Croxton Collaborative Architects designed the project, which now serves as the National Audubon Society headquarters.

Croxton Collaborative also was behind renovations to several floors of the Natural Resources Defense Council building in Manhattan in 1998, New York's first green construction project. Addressing energy efficiency, light, air quality and the health and well-being of the buildings occupants, this project was a watershed moment in the green building movement.

Four Times Square, developed by the Durst Corporation developed and designed by architects Fox & Fowle, became the first green skyscraper in North America in 1999. The property was fully leased within four months of opening, adding significant momentum to the green building movement in New York and nationwide.

Laying The Foundation: Office of Sustainable Design and Battery Park City

In an effort to identify and implement cost-effective ways to promote environmental responsibility in building design, the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) formed the Office of Sustainable Design (OSD) in 1997.

The OSD published DDC's High Performance Building Guidelines in 1999, which helped introduce sustainable design to DDC project teams and to the entire city. This led to a companion piece for infrastructure published in 2005, which became the groundbreaking High Performance Infrastructure Guidelines.

The Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) embraced the LEED Green Building Rating System early on and now runs one of the world's greenest neighborhoods. It is home to the Solaire, a LEED Gold-certified building, and the first green high-rise residential project in North America. Goldman Sachs' new headquarters is also registered to achieve LEED Gold. In addition, BPCA has seven other green residential buildings under construction, three of which are expected to achieve LEED Platinum.

Not to be left behind, the New York City Transit Authority has developed green design guidelines and constructed a number of sustainable projects. Among the most prominent is the Stillwell Avenue subway station in Brooklyn, featuring one of largest thin-film, building-integrated photovoltaic installations in the world.

The New York City chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council was established at this crucial juncture in 2002, and is one of the Council's most active and dynamic branches in the nation. The USGBC's regional network of local chapters and affiliates serve as the USGBC's "front door," providing green building resources, education, and leadership in communities across the country.

A City Rebuilds: Greening The World Trade Center

The LEED Gold rated 7 World Trade Center opened in May 2007.

In 2006, five years after the 9/11 attacks, Governor George Pataki announced that the Freedom Tower, World Trade Center Office Towers 2, 3, and 4 and World Trade Center Memorial and Memorial Museum would all be designed to achieve LEED Gold certification. Nearby, 7 World Trade Center has already earned LEED Gold certification and will house one of the largest fuel-cell installations in the world.

Local Transformation: Bold Steps Toward the Future

New York City enacted Local Law 86 in 2005, requiring most city-owned and city-funded buildings to achieve LEED Silver certification. One of the strongest in the United States, the law was passed due in part to advocacy by USGBC New York, and is expected to green more than $12 billion worth of city construction by 2017.

In December 2006, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg committed New York City to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30% by 2030. Meeting this challenge will require substantial changes to building infrastructure. This makes USGBC New York's activities and initiatives, and the city's commitment to LEED, all the more important.