Earlier this month, President Obama unveiled the Better Building Initiative (BBI), a public-private partnership that will invest $4 billion toward making federal and commercial office buildings more energy-efficient.
400 Market Street, an 11-story Philadelphia office tower built in 1972, is already serving as a model for how owners of hundreds of older, mid- and high-rise buildings throughout the Northeast and Midwest can reap the benefits of the program.
The 200,000 sf building, home to Philadelphia’s high-powered KWY-AM radio station, was recently renovated with a new HVAC system and a state-of-the-art window retrofitting system called RENOVATE by Berkowitz. According to energy modeling studies conducted with the U.S. Department of Energy’s most sophisticated energy modeling software, a typical 10- to 15-story office building like 400 Market Street could realize significant energy savings.
Developed by J.E. Berkowitz, a glass fabricator based in Pedricktown, N.J., the system works by converting existing single-pane windows into energy-saving, triple-glazed insulating glass units (IGUs) at a cost that is up to 50 percent less than ripping out and replacing old windows with new ones.
The window renovation system also has the benefit of being much faster and less disruptive to install. Berkowitz said the retrofit project for 400 Market Street took about 50 working days, which is two to three times faster than it would have been for a traditional “rip-out-and-replace” project for a similarly sized building. In addition, because the retrofitting was completed indoors, tenants were able to remain in their offices throughout the project. That is not possible with traditional window retrofitting solutions.
The BBI, which was first announced in January 2011, was developed to increase the energy efficiency in commercial buildings by 20 percent by 2020. Under the BBI, 60 private companies, municipal leaders and labor organizers have agreed on a plan to invest $2 billion of private capital to improve commercial, industrial, and manufacturing property. President Obama authorized the government to move forward with another $2 billion in energy-efficiency upgrades to federal buildings, which will be paid for by the long-term savings that the upgrades will provide. BD+C
Related Stories
Building Team | Apr 22, 2022
EarthCam Adds Senior Leadership Roles to Facilitate Rapid Growth
EarthCam today announced several new leadership positions as it scales up to accommodate increasing demand for its webcam technology and services.
Architects | Apr 22, 2022
Top 10 green building projects for 2022
The American Institute of Architects' Committee on the Environment (COTE) has announced its COTE Top Ten Awards for significant achievements in advancing climate action.
Mixed-Use | Apr 22, 2022
San Francisco replaces a waterfront parking lot with a new neighborhood
A parking lot on San Francisco’s waterfront is transforming into Mission Rock—a new neighborhood featuring rental units, offices, parks, open spaces, retail, and parking.
Legislation | Apr 21, 2022
NIMBYism in the Sunbelt stymies new apartment development
Population growth in Sunbelt metro areas is driving demand for new apartment development, but resistance is growing against these projects.
Architects | Apr 21, 2022
A conversation with architect Robert A.M. Stern
The architect Robert A.M. Stern discusses his newly published memoir that touches on his childhood in New York and 50-plus-year career.
Building Team | Apr 20, 2022
White House works with state, local governments to bolster building performance standards
The former head of the U.S. Green Building Council says the Biden Administration’s formation of the National Building Performance Standards Coalition is a “tremendous” step in the right direction to raise building performance standards in the U.S.
Market Data | Apr 20, 2022
Pace of demand for design services rapidly accelerates
Demand for design services in March expanded sharply from February according to a new report today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Multifamily Housing | Apr 20, 2022
A Frankfurt tower gives residents greenery-framed views
In Frankfurt, Germany, the 27-floor EDEN tower boasts an exterior “living wall system”: 186,000 plants that cover about 20 percent of the building’s facade.
AEC Tech | Apr 19, 2022
VDC maturity and the key to driving better, more predictable outcomes
While more stakeholders across the AEC value chain embrace the concept of virtual design and construction, what is driving the vastly different results that organizations achieve? The answer lies within an assessment of VDC maturity.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 19, 2022
6 trends to watch in healthcare design
As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, IMEG’s healthcare leaders from across the country are seeing several emerging trends that are poised to have wide-ranging impacts on facility design and construction. Following are six of the trends and strategies they expect to become more commonplace in 2022 and the years to come.