{"id":23513,"date":"2020-01-16T15:08:09","date_gmt":"2020-01-16T13:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commercialcafe.com\/blog\/?p=23513"},"modified":"2025-07-15T17:06:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T14:06:08","slug":"revealed-new-yorks-green-building-superstars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.commercialcafe.com\/blog\/revealed-new-yorks-green-building-superstars\/","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: New York\u2019s Green Building Superstars"},"content":{"rendered":"

In terms of its reduced energy usage and increased efficiencies, New York City is the <\/span>greenest city in the U.S.<\/span><\/a> In fact, NYC is now home to <\/span>almost 520 million square feet<\/span><\/a> of green building space.<\/span><\/p>\n

The LEED certification program is the driving force for New York\u2019s eco-credentials. Under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program from <\/span>the U.S. Green Building Council<\/span><\/a> (USGBC), a building\u2019s environmental conscience is measured across its development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

LEED is now one of the most widely used green building rating systems in the world. According <\/span>to the LEED website<\/span><\/a>: \u201c<\/span>Green building is the practice of designing, constructing and operating buildings to maximize occupant health and productivity, use fewer resources, reduce waste and negative environmental impacts, and decrease life-cycle costs.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The USGBC also claims LEED certification leads to faster leasing rates, higher resale values, and reduced energy usage to boost your brand and establish you as a leader in green building.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some of the greenest buildings in the Big Apple, based on the LEED program:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hearst Tower<\/span><\/h2>\n

In 2012, the Hearst Tower was reportedly<\/a> the first building in the world to be awarded both Gold and Platinum LEED status. The Gold certification was awarded under the New Construction category and the Platinum certification for its Sustainable Building Operations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Its sustainable features include automatically regulated artificial lighting, innovative heating and cooling systems, rainwater collection and reuse, the use of recycled construction materials (making up 85 per cent of the building\u2019s structure), a composting program where <\/span>100% of its wet food waste<\/span><\/a> is composted and low-toxicity furniture and paint.<\/span><\/p>\n

Located between 300 West 57th Street and 959 Eight Avenue, the Hearst Tower was originally constructed in 1928 with no real regard for sustainability. It wasn\u2019t until its 2006 renovation that it started to shift its focus to environmental matters.<\/span><\/p>\n

Empire State Building<\/span><\/a><\/h2>\n

One of the world\u2019s most iconic buildings, the Empire State Building also has LEED Gold certification – making it one of the few global landmarks to earn this designation.<\/span><\/p>\n

A new sustainability drive for the building was launched in 2009, which saw the structure redesigned to increase its energy efficiency. Every single window in the building (more than 6,000 in total) <\/span>were reportedly replaced<\/span><\/a> during the retrofit, with automated building management systems and updated insulation systems helped further push the building\u2019s sustainability.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, the building reportedly <\/span>saved USD$2.3 million<\/span><\/a> in energy costs over one-year thanks to its new green measures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park<\/span><\/h2>\n

Located on West 43rd Street, this 51-story building was completed in 2009 and received a LEED Platinum certification soon afterwards, making it the first skyscraper in North America to gain this award.<\/span><\/p>\n

The building itself uses daylight, fresh air, and other natural inputs to connect its residents with the natural environment, a phenomenon known as \u201c<\/span>biophilia<\/span><\/a>\u201d. The building also features waterless urinals, recycled rainwater, and concrete partially composed of blast furnace slag to boost its eco-credentials.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, some critics claimed the building highlights the shortcomings with the LEED certification. A <\/span>recent report in The Guardian<\/span><\/a> states: \u201cOne Bryant Park, for example, has been attacked for its relatively high energy usage \u2013 critics point out that, according to data released by New York City, it uses more than <\/span>twice as much energy per square foot<\/span><\/a> as the Empire State Building.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

10 Hudsons Yard<\/span><\/h2>\n

This was the first office building to be completed as part of the <\/span>Hudson Yards master plan urban renewal project<\/span><\/a>, which will eventually house 16 skyscrapers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Located in <\/span>Midtown Manhattan<\/span><\/a>, the building reportedly boasts a <\/span>LEED Platinum<\/span><\/a> BD+C certification for its core and shell and a LEED Gold certification for its:<\/span><\/p>\n