Cornell Tech, under construction on Roosevelt Island in New York City, recently announced details of its plan to achieve Net Zero energy efficiency for The Bloomberg Center.
Designed by the architecture firm Morphosis, The Bloomberg Center is the first academic building to be constructed on the Cornell Tech campus. The first phase of this development will open this September.
The campus plans include photovoltaic arrays, geothermal ground source heat pumps, an energy-efficient facade balancing the ratio between transparency and opaqueness to maximize building insulation and decrease energy demand, and smart building features that will monitor lighting and plug load use. The strategy to achieve a low energy building is through a stepped approach, prioritizing reduction in energy demand through load reductions and maximizing passive and energy efficient design, as well as using renewable energy to power the building systems.
There are 80 closed-loop geothermal wells, each 400 feet deep, that were drilled below the main campus public open space. The ground-source heat pumps will be used with an active chilled-beam system.
An acre-sized photovoltaic array tops The Bloomberg Center and neighboring The Bridge building. The building designs incorporate the panels as an integral architectural feature. The array on The Bloomberg Center also provides building shading.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Mar 11, 2021
Los Angeles commits to carbon-free city buildings
City will take into account embedded carbon when contracting to buy construction products.
Codes and Standards | Mar 10, 2021
‘Smart retrofitting’ will be crucial to net zero aspirations
AI, analytical software, Internet of Things are keys to decarbonization of built environment.
Codes and Standards | Mar 9, 2021
Salt Lake City is first jurisdiction to adopt new standards for off-site construction
Code Council and Modular Building Institute developing standards and compliance protocols.
Codes and Standards | Mar 8, 2021
Hyperlocal zoning could spur more affordable housing construction
Letting blocks and streets pass their own rules could have impact.
Codes and Standards | Mar 5, 2021
Biden builds on Trump’s “Buy American” order
New administration extends preferences for domestic construction materials.
Codes and Standards | Mar 4, 2021
Biden administration overturns Trump’s federal building design mandate
Previous order promoted classical and “traditional” architecture above others.
Codes and Standards | Mar 3, 2021
Texas freeze raises questions about risks of electrifying buildings
Gas stoves helped residents cook, boil water when power went out.
Codes and Standards | Mar 2, 2021
New Seattle building code eliminates fossil fuels for most space and water heating
Also increases on-site solar photovoltaics, reduces envelope heat loss, air leakage, and interior lighting power allowances.
Codes and Standards | Feb 25, 2021
It’s not just lumber—roofing material prices are also on the rise
Lower demand for petroleum products means less asphalt production.
Codes and Standards | Feb 23, 2021
USGBC offers education on LEED Safety First pilot credits
Four courses address COVID-19.