We wrote about the Mercy Corps Action Center to End World Hunger earlier this year; the $5.4 million, 4000-square-foot interactive education facility is set to open this Thursday, October 16 (which is World Food Day) within community space at the Sheldrake Organization’s Riverhouse condominiums. Designed by Edwin Schlossberg’s ESI Design, the Center is seeking a LEED Platinum rating from USGBC. The Center’s mission is to both educate and inspire visitors to take action against poverty and hunger. Four “training towers” provide case studies from different countries- conflict in Afghanistan, government in Indonesia, global warming in Niger, and land use in Guatemala. Benches made from wood reclaimed from houses destroyed during Hurricane Katrina lace the Center’s interiors, while a Tina Fey-hosted video provides an overview of the Center’s offerings.
October 13th, 2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | ContinuedDavid Rockwell
JetBlue’s Terminal 5 at Kennedy Airport: Green But No LEED
Despite its green design features, JetBlue’s new $743 million Terminal 5 at Kennedy Airport will not be seeking a LEED rating. The project’s planning and design management firm Arup has deemed certification “not possible because of the airport’s existing energy infrastructure.” Architect Gensler’s design for T5 includes extensive daylighting and windows, and given JetBlue’s commitment at the corporate level to sustainability, it’s a bit curious that the project will not pursue certification from USGBC, though precise details about how JFK’s electrical grid precludes a LEED application are not available . T5 will give travelers the option of walking through Eero Saarinen’s TWA Terminal, a modernist landmark that has been incorporated into the T5 design program.
August 7th, 2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
Vivavi Teams With Sheldrake to Open Green Furniture Store at Riverhouse
Josh Dorfman and our friends at Vivavi have teamed with The Sheldrake Organization to open an Eco Pop-Up Store at the developer’s Riverhouse condo in Battery Park City. As you’ll recall, the project is aiming for a LEED Platinum rating and recently earned significant green press after Leonardo Di Caprio purchased an apartment in the 32-story, 264-unit tower. The store, which is a fully-furnished Unit 8D, adjacent to the Riverhouse sales center, is open to the public 7 days a week, and features pieces from 18 different green-minded designers, including Brave Space, Modern Bamboo, and Animavi, as well as a Team 7 dining room and office furnishings from Knu Furniture. Vivavi is calling the Pop-Up Store the first of its kind within a residential building in New York City, and it’s certainly the first to exclusively feature green living products.
July 23rd, 2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
Monday LEEDoff: Architecture and Sustainability Meet at Riverhouse in Battery Park City
One particular critique of LEED that I frequently hear about is how the rating system does not recognize design excellence. Integrating sustainable elements into green architecture that captures the imagination is a challenge, and many architects believe that LEED should provide recognition to projects that are able to do so successfully.
The Sheldrake Organization’s 31-story, 264-unit [...]
April 9th, 2007 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued