Sustainable Design: The Future of Architecture in New York City

! ! ! ! ! Written by Tom !! Seubert, Sifan Shen, Zara Hoffman, Michelle Sigalov, ! Rebecca Galpern, & Luke ODowd ! ! ! !

"##$%&&'''()*$+,-$(+,.&/$0,12&3-*445*0*14*&6+,789#:;<=>?@(A$B!

!"#$%&'(#)%"*
Sleek and shiny shapes. Stainless-steal and silvery structures. Chrome curvatures. Daring designs. This is what our future is becoming. They say, gone with the old and in with the new. Well, this project has taken us on a journey to discover the new, futuristic ideas that bid the old adieu. While a picture is worth a thousand words, we feel that the design and appeal of a building has an indefinite valuearchitecture tells a story. An architect plans his buildings, watches them come into fruition and sets the ultimate goal of creating something that sustains itself. We feel that architecture can be an excellent tool in educating the public about the future of New York City. Architecture is something tangible. It is something we can photograph, visit and enter. The importance of a sustainable New York City can be relayed effectively using a medium that is relatable to all. Architecture is this medium. So, as indicated in our initial proposal and fortified by the work we have completed since, our final video project will explore various aspects of sustainable architecture with focuses on green roofs, LEED, Hearst Tower, and hopefully an architectural firm. The intended purpose of our video will be to educate our audience about these issues surrounding sustainable architecture and provide some insight to the future.

+,&-#.*%"*!")#)-/*0/-"*
Since the submission of our initial proposal, we have made one major change in the timeline/planning of the video. This change entailed switching the order of interviews and research. Initially, we planned to conduct interviews and then do the bulk of our research. As time passed, this proved to be illogical. In order to have excellent interviews we realized we needed to be as informed as possible about the topics we would discuss with professionals and the public. This change has effected our project in a few, other ways. Our proposal promised a script or, at the very least, an outline of our video. Since we have yet to complete professional interviews, we feel it would be imprudent to write a script for the video. Additionally, after the submission of our proposal, Luke was added to our group. This shifted some of our responsibilities. Luke was inserted as a researcher and as a video editor. Obviously, this wasnt mentioned in our initial proposal. !

12.3-#)(*4%"".(#)%"5*
The most important aspect of any educational video is to have an obvious, comprehensive theme. In the opening paragraphs of this report our videos theme is obvious, but as one continues to read on and briefly look at a list of interview subjects and any research we have conducted, one might not be certain what exactly our theme is or what we will focus on in our video. Upon first glance, it appears as if we only have a hodgepodge of sources and subtopics. For a moment, analogize our ten-minute video to a road trip. The purpose of a trip is to get from a point of origin to an intended destination. For this project, our origin is an audience uneducated about sustainable architecture, and our destination is an audience informed about these issues. Like any good road trip, there will be stops and detours along the way. We will cover all of our themes background, but background can be tedious. In order to maintain our audiences interest, we will make some stops and take some detours to talk about various philosophies guiding architectural planning, the past, the future, LEED certifications, Hearst Tower and green roofs. Enjoy the ride!

4/-55*4%"(.,#5*
In class we looked at some radical ideas involving a total reconstruction of New York City. For example, we examined the Architecture Research Offices 2006 plan to construct a futuristic Manhattan that assumes a gradual rise in sea levels. Replacing streets with vanes, even the authors of this plan admit their ideas are not feasible in every part of the city. However, the philosophy behind this concept of a futuristic Manhattan is significant because it emphasizes out of the box thinking and forces us to consider throwing out the conventional while embracing ideas that seem impossible. (Yarinksky, Adam. 2008. Envisioning Radical FuturesNew York City 2106: Back to the Future Places 20-2) We also took a look at the British Headquarters Map from 1782, which gives us a glimpse of Manhattan before rapid urbanization drastically transformed the island. Because our project focuses on sustainable architecture, we think its important to look at the natural landscape of Manhattan. This gives us clues about where and how new structures should be constructed. For example, locations that once were home to wetlands are more prone to flooding today. We therefore need to ensure structures in these locations are able to withstand frequent floods. A city, or building that embraces nature will be more sustainable in the long run than one that simply tries to conquer it. (Sanderson, Eric W., and Marianne Brown. 2007. Mannahatta: An Ecological First Look at the Manhattan Landscape prior to Henry Hudson. Northeastern Naturalist 14 (4): 545570.)

The Welikia Project

!

"##$%&&1-+"$1$*-(+,.&C$0,124&D1E1"1##1F$09#F):(A$B!

In that same vein of thought, we spent a class focusing on the fallout from Hurricane Sandy, and we saw that its practically impossible to stop the sheer force of nature. Climate change is expected to cause sea levels to rise significantly over the coming decades, further exacerbating the impact of storms and flooding. Today, the city has two options. The first is to attempt to combat sea level rise with flood-walls and other barriers. The second is a more proactive approach. Essentially, this second approach involves learning to coexist and adapt to climate change and the higher frequency of natural disasters by building sustainable structures. Its important that we transform New York into an urban environment that is able to withstand floods, storms and other natural disasters. Through architectural planning and better placement of critical infrastructure this can be achieved. (New York City Panel on Climate Change. 2013. Climate Risk Information 2013: Observations, Climate Change Projections, and Maps. New York, NY.) These selected class topics and supportive readings show that, for centuries, man has always positioned himself against nature. Nature was something that needed to be fought, tamed, and even destroyed to make way for human progress. We saw this in the industrial revolution, in the building of the nations great cities, and even in the Italian futurism sections discussed in class. Today, however, the dynamic between humanity and nature is changing. We plan to utilize the discussion instigated by this changing dynamic and substantiated by class readings, to fuel the narrative of our film.

6'#5)&.*7.5.-$(2*
To support, enhance, and expand upon classroom materials, we have conducted additional research. This section summarizes two of our most significant findings in regards to green/blue roofs and the Hearst Tower. The Guidelines for the Design and Construction of Stormwater Management System, a New York City Department of Environmental Protection publication, highlights the various ways in which storm water can be diverted or used as a resource. It specifically highlights blue roofs and green roofs as excellent measures to better utilize storm water. According to the guidelines, blue roofs allow ponded water to precipitate through roof drains. Weirs, located on roof drain inlets, restrict water flow. The text goes on to say that green roofs also aid in storm water run-off but in a slightly different manner. Green roofs consist of vegetative layers that grow in treated soil placed above a drain system. Green roofs hold storm water in soil and utilize storm water through vegetative uptake and evapotranspiration.

Hearst Tower

"##$%&&'''(1-+"2190:(+,.&<=GH=I&J014"K1+)7"*1-4#7#,'*-7J,4#*-71E27$1-#E*-4&!

"##$%&&144*#4(9E"1K9#1#(+,.&J90*4&LC92)14-*E2*-9EB(A$B!

According to the NYCDEPs webpage, the NYCDEP is in the process of conducting a study on the differences between blue and green roofs. They have built both a blue roof and green roof on top of PS 118, located in Queens, and they plan to analyze the effectiveness of the two structures. Looking to the future of architecture, blue and green roofs will play key roles in making buildings more sustainable. Another storm water management measure outlined in the NYCDEPs guidelines is featured at the Hearst Tower. This building doesnt have a green roof, rather, it collects rainwater and stores it in the basement. The water is then used to humidify the indoor atmosphere and irrigate surrounding trees. This can be seen in the PBS documentary titled Treasures of New York: Hearst Tower. Also seen in the documentary is a theme present in our courseworkradical ideas are crucial to the success of urban green architectures. When William Randolph Hearst initiated the construction of Hearst Tower, he envisioned a tall building that rivals todays 47-story Times Square Tower. Unfortunately, his vision was undermined by the Great Depression. Only the base of Hearst Tower was built in 1928, but its

8)./&9%$:*
Research is good, but research coupled with fieldwork is great. In order to literally cover more ground and have a greater presence in the field, we divided up fieldwork responsibilities. Rebecca, in preparation for an interview with sustainable architecture firm 1100 architect, has visited and photographed their building for the New York Public Library in Battery Park City. This LEED gold-certified branch of the NYPL has won several awards for interior design, and features innovative strategies to achieve sustainability, making it a perfect building to focus on. Rebecca has also reached out to the Brooklyn Childrens Museum (the first LEED-certified museum), inquiring about their green education program and has requested an interview with no response. Sifan has visited the Hearst tower, which is New York Citys first LEED gold-certified skyscraper. Utilizing his personal connections, Sifan has secured an interview with Thomas Knapp, head of the Hearst Crisis Management Team. Like Rebeccas potential interview, Sifans interview corresponds directly to his fieldwork, thus, allowing him to become an expert on one particular structure. Michelles fieldwork, unlike that of Sifan and Michelle, centers on researching green roofs. Michelle has visited structures featuring green roofs and has contacted New York Green Roofs for an interview with no response.

Luke has been researching possible connections between our class readings and the concepts of our video, and has also reached out to Jason Kliwinski of the U.S. Green Building Council to no avail. Tom and Zara have been tasked with conducting public opinion interviews, asking Baruch students what they think about the future of sustainable architecture. Together they have collected a variety of responses that showcase a range of opinions and knowledge on our videos theme. These interviews will contrast with the interviews of professionals, and will also document the level of knowledge the general public has regarding issues of sustainability and architecture. Our collected fieldwork provides a strong basis for our film going forward. With most fieldwork completed, we are excited to move into the interviewing and editing stages of our project.

7.5,%"5);)/)#).5*
Michelle has researched green roofs and infrastructures and has maintained contact with gbNYC associate Stephen Del Percio, one of the first attorneys in the country to earn LEED AP designation, as well as New York Green Roofs, a leading firm in the field. She is also responsible for visiting and photographing green infrastructures at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Jacob Javits Center, amongst other locations. Tom has put his talents as a journalist to use in conducting public opinion interviews with Baruch students. Tom also serves as the editor for all of our research materials and written reports, including the proposal and midterm paper. In addition to that, he has kept detailed records of our progress and has helped the team set concrete goals. Zara has also been in charge of conducting public opinion interviews. In addition to that, she has photographed green locations such as the Cooper Union building and the Highline, and has contributed to our research of green buildings, specifically by investigating architectural publications. Rebecca has visited, filmed and photographed the New York Public Library Battery Park location, which was designed by 1100 architect. She has reached out to leading architects in the firm. Rebecca has also been researching sustainability practices as a whole. She is also familiar with the connection between libraries and social change, as discussed in Greening Libraries by Monika Antonelli.

Sifan, who has researched LEED and the Hearst Tower, has secured our main interview. Some of his sources include the PBS special Treasures of New York and Why LEED Certification Matters by the US Green Building Council. He will be leading our videos discussion of LEED, recording the Hearst Tower tour and conducting an interview with Thomas F. Knapp, head of Hearst Towers Crisis Management Team. Luke has connected class-readings to our video and has been aiding the entire team in connecting their research to the class discussion. He will also be in charge of editing our video, which includes compiling and cutting clips for the final video presentation. Luke has been working closely with Tom to aid the group with interview preparation and has worked on aesthetic aspects of our midterm report.

<%=)">*8%$9-$&*
We plan to have all of our interviewing completed by the start of Spring Break, and we also want to have our videos script completed by this time. This will leave us with the last few weeks of the semester to work on editing and finalizing the video. Tom will focus on writing a script with Michelle. Zara will use her curating interests to work on visual aspects of the video. Sifan, Luke, and Rebecca have all expressed interest and have shown talent in using iMovie. Luke will be our director but the nature of the editing and producing process will be collaborative. ! "##$%&&'''(<=M=$CK09+1#9,E4(+,.&'$7+,E#*E#&C$0,124&<=I<&II&B-*1#N+9#:N,O*-100(A$B! !!!