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How to Find a Green Building: LEED Certification
One of the people who has helped to drive sustainable development in New York City is David Burney. From 2004 to 2014, Burney served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Design and Construction. In this capacity, he managed capital projects for multiple city agencies and launched the Design and Construction Excellence Initiative. Among the Initiative’s goals was a mandate to promote sustainable design projects. Burney, now a professor of architecture at the Pratt Institute, explains that despite the fact that public sector projects took the lead in terms of sustainability, the landscape is changing: “Since the widespread implementation of the USGBC LEED accreditation system most large new buildings and major renovations apply for LEED certification, both public and private.”
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a third-party verification system for green buildings. Somewhat like the more familiar USDA label used to certify organic products, LEED certifies that a building has been developed following a set of sustainability principles, which include the following:
- Location and Transportation: Does the building offer easy access to public transportation, a car sharing service, like Zipcar, or provide onsite bicycle storage?
- Sustainable Sites: Does the site allow for rainwater management or light pollution reduction?
- Water Inefficiency: Does the building include water reduction strategies?
- Energy and Atmosphere: Does the building meet energy performance standards?
- Materials and Resources: Does the building have a recycling program and a demolition and construction waste management plan?
- Indoor Environmental Quality: Does the building meet air quality performance standards and maximize natural resources, including daylight?
- Innovation: Does the building feature new technologies or materials designed to promote sustainability?
- Regional Priority: Has the project been designed to address local environmental challenges?
What is Passive House
Check out CityRealty's ongoing list of NYC Passive House projects here.
Where to Find Sustainable Residential Buildings in NYC
Below, see a selection of five private and public residential properties informed by the principles of sustainable design. Notably, the projects range from LEED certified and Passive House developments to developments that have prioritized sustainable design principles but chosen not to seek either certification. We also look at listings in sustainably designed buildings throughout New York City.
More recently, amidst its conversion from rental to sales units, The Solaire’s interiors were reimagined with noise-reducing Low-E casement windows and environmentally friendly appliances and finishes. And when residents move in, they are gifted a jar of honey harvested from the rooftop apiary – in recognition of the importance of honeybees to the food supply, Best Bees manages beehives on the roof of The Solaire (separate from the outdoor amenity space overlooking the Hudson River and Teardrop Park.