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The Helena
Silver and Green Are
the Colors In Question
By Amy S. Choi
The Helena, a 38-floor, 600-unit rental residential property
owned and being developed by New York City-based Durst Organization
Inc., will be "green."
Durst is aiming for a silver ranking in the Leadership in
Energy & Environmental Design certification process through
the U.S. Green Building Council. That means the developer
should incorporate both construction and design strategies
that balance environmental responsibility, resource efficiency,
occupant comfort and well-being, and community sensitivity.
"It's a very unusual scenario here," said Joan
Ulbrich, the project manager in charge of LEED for Kreisler
Borg Florman General Construction Co., the general contractor
for the building at West 57th Street and 11th Avenue. "It's
the first residential green building Durst has done and we
really do believe it is the wave of the future. In the long
term, the property will save money and save the environment."
The development team began planning for The Helena 18 months
ago, and broke ground on the $160 million project in July.
It is currently at grade level on the site and should be completed
by October. At this stage of the construction process, the
three most critical aspects of the project are waste management,
erosion and sedimentation control, and indoor air quality
before occupancy.
LEED requires that all of the construction debris on the
site is segregated so paper, plastic, wood, metal and other
materials can all be recycled. Rather than doing this on the
site, KBFG contracted a waste management company to do it
remotely, earning LEED points for preventing that waste from
going into the landfill.
In terms of erosion and sedimentation control, KBFG has gravel
pit systems in place to prevent soil from leaving the site
and going into the rivers and the sewers, ensuring that whatever
goes into the city's systems is clear. Indoor air quality
during construction is maintained by covered ductwork on the
site, so contaminants cannot enter the building or the apartments.
"Housekeeping is a tremendous part of this whole procedure,"
Ulbrich said. "During the construction and installation
of the mechanical aspects of this site, everything was monitored
closely to make sure that we conform to the plans that were
submitted to accumulate LEED credits for the silver certification."
The building itself will incorporate dozens of environmentally
responsible design elements. The individual apartment units,
for example, will be constructed with renewable materials.
The floors will be made of bamboo while the kitchen cabinets
will be made of wheatboard, both of which are more environmentally
safe than pine or oak.
The structure as a whole is using furnace slag-a waste product
of steel manufacturing-in the poured concrete foundation,
which strengthens the concrete and also prevents the slag
from going into the landfill.
The nonrecycled materials in the building are still environmentally
aware. For example, high-performance glass was utilized throughout
the building, which provides for little heat penetration or
loss through transparent glass.
"The glass isn't visually obtrusive like it used to
be," said Bruce Fowle, senior and founding principal
of Fox & Fowle Architects P.C. "We ended up with
a mirror finish on the glass, which highlights the different
angles and exposures of the façade and adds interest
to the building."
The mechanical systems to be put in place are all also designed
to be environmentally safe. For example, on many of the surfaces
of the property the architects designed solar collection panels
that will take energy from the sun and convert it to electric
energy, which will be used alongside an electrical energy
manufacturing plant within the building.
From this combined heat and energy facility, the by-product
of hot water can also be used in another system, such as a
chilling or refrigerant system in the building.
Green roofs will not only serve as an amenity to the residents
of the property, but also help keep the building cooler and
retain rainwater, which aids in preventing extraneous water
runoff into the street. At the same time, a black water purification
plant will collect the water used in the building and recycle
it within the building. The goal is to reduce water consumption
of the building by 50 percent.
"So much more engineering has to go into a green building
in order to utilize all of the natural resources and track
their course," said Jonathan Durst, co-president of the
Durst Organization. "Engineering undoubtedly is getting
better in every aspect. We just have to keep our fingers crossed
that the market is going to be strong when we complete the
project."
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