This
new 30,000 sf, $9.5 million high-performance office building will provide an
expanded regional administrative center for the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC).
The
building is the DEC’s first project designed under New York State’s Executive
Order 111 and is projected to achieve a LEED “Gold” rating. The building makes
extensive use of day lighting, direct solar gain and air stratification with
automated shading integrated with lighting controls. Long span steel trusses allow for an
expansive open workspace, flooding the main space with natural light.
In
addition, the new building is also DEC’s first building to implement its new
storm-water design regulations for New
York State.
The site design takes advantage of large-scale biofiltration and storm water
collection & retention as well as a hybrid of pervious and impervious
parking areas. Site planning was designed to maximize natural & planted
areas, reduce heat-islands and protect native species.
The
building’s modular design allows for the minimization of construction waste and cutting, thereby
also reducing overallconstruction cost
through standardization and decreasing environmental impact. In addition, construction materials that
are locally produced and make extensive
use of recycled content were selected whenever possible.
The
interior of the building features a pressurized raised floor and modular
partition system to accommodate future changes in use patterns with flexible
power, voice, data and HVAC distribution while eliminating most ductwork. In
addition, working with several national office system furniture companies, a
new ‘green’ work-surface was developed for use in the open office landscape. Consisting
of a clear-powder coat finish over the manufacturer’s standard MDF substrate, the
new worksurface substantially reduces
the material and energy required to produce a final product This innovation in the project is now being
offered by several manufacturers as a ‘green’ alternative.
In
addition, DOE2 computer modeling indicates that the building will have energy
saving of at least 42% when compared to a code-compliant or LEED baseline
building and makes the project eligible for substantial NYSERDA grant funding.The
project has been featured in Metropolis magazine for its innovation in
sustainable design.
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