One World Trade Center has officially become one of the largest buildings in the world to receive LEED Gold certification, and is the tallest LEED certified building in the Western Hemisphere.
But, as Curbed New York reports, this certification did not come without its difficulties. When Hurricane Sandy went rumbling through New York City almost four years ago, nine fuel cells, purchased for $10.6 million and which were supposed to help heat and cool the building, were among the $32 billion of total damage the city faced. As hundreds of gallons of water flooded the One World Trade Center basement and irreparably damaged the fuel cells, it seemed as though the hopes for LEED Gold had been washed away.
But the 1,776-foot-tall Skidmore, Owings & Merrill-designed building is nothing if not resilient. Thanks to a bevy of sustainable features incorporated into the construction, design, and daily operation of the tower, it managed to achieve LEED Gold certification all the same.
One World Trade Center was built using over 40% post-industrial recycled content, uses a design that allows for over 90% of office areas to receive natural light, and has a glass façade with a special coating meant to block excessive heat from ultra-violet rays. The structure also captures 100 percent of its stormwater runoff on-site to maximize water efficiency.
One World Trade Center joins other skyscrapers such as Shanghai Tower (LEED Platinum), Taipei 101 (LEED Platinum), and Kingkey 100 Tower (LEED Gold) as some of the tallest LEED certified buildings in the world.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Jul 31, 2023
6 multifamily housing projects win 2023 LEED Homes Awards
The 2023 LEED Homes Awards winners in the multifamily space represent green, LEED-certified buildings designed to provide clean indoor air and reduced energy consumption.
Sustainability | Jul 27, 2023
USGBC warns against building energy code preemptions, rollbacks
In a recent editorial, the USGBC cited a growing number of U.S. state legislators who are “aiming to roll back building energy code standards and/or preempt local governments from advancing energy-efficient building codes.”
Resiliency | Jul 27, 2023
'Underground climate change' can damage building foundations, civil infrastructure
A phenomenon known as “underground climate change” can lead to damage of building foundations and civil infrastructure, according to a researcher at Northwestern University. When the ground gets hotter, it can expand and contract, causing foundations to move and sometimes crack.
Sustainability | Jul 26, 2023
Carbon Neutrality at HKS, with Rand Ekman, Chief Sustainability Officer
Rand Ekman, Chief Sustainability Officer at HKS Inc., discusses the firm's decarbonization strategy and carbon footprint assessment.
Concrete | Jul 19, 2023
Public policy hindering widespread adoption of sustainable concrete
Researchers are making significant strides in reducing embedded carbon in concrete, but public policies have been slow to adopt this more sustainable option.
Sustainability | Jul 19, 2023
California lawmakers approve governor’s plan to accelerate green construction
California lawmakers recently approved Gov. Gavin Newsom’s infrastructure streamlining plan that aims to accelerate clean energy and infrastructure projects.
Sustainability | Jul 13, 2023
Deep green retrofits: Updating old buildings to new sustainability standards
HOK’s David Weatherhead and Atenor’s Eoin Conroy discuss the challenges and opportunities of refurbishing old buildings to meet modern-day sustainability standards.
Mass Timber | Jul 11, 2023
5 solutions to acoustic issues in mass timber buildings
For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 6, 2023
The responsibility of adapting historic university buildings
Shepley Bulfinch's David Whitehill, AIA, believes the adaptive reuse of historic university buildings is not a matter of sentimentality but of practicality, progress, and preservation.
Contractors | Jun 30, 2023
Construction industry task force aims for standardized carbon reporting
A newly formed Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) task force on decarbonization and carbon reporting will address the challenges around reporting and reducing carbon emissions in the construction industry.
