This month marks the completion of a new 16-story office tower that is being promoted as New York City’s most sustainable office structure. That boast is backed by an innovative HVAC system that features geothermal wells, dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) units, radiant heating and cooling, and a sophisticated control system to ensure that the elements work optimally together.
The 555 Greenwich development is connected to the structural frame of the adjoining 345 Hudson St. office building. Its advanced HVAC technologies will result in whole-building energy use of less than half of its adjoining office mate and be 40% lower than an average large New York City office building, according to a news release from Hudson Square Properties, the building’s developer.
The tower is fully electrified with no fossil fuel use on site for any purpose. Even though it uses electricity to heat the building, it will use 40% less electricity than comparable commercial properties. The building employs a fully integrated radiant heating and cooling system fed by fluid conditioned in geothermal wells along with a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS). Working in concert, the two systems optimize energy efficiency and thermal comfort. The DOAS also supplies fresh air for a healthier indoor environment.
A closed-loop geothermal system embedded in foundation caissons uses the steady temperature of the ground for heating and cooling. The geothermal and radiant heating systems effectively turn the concrete superstructure of the building into a large thermal battery. 555 Greenwich will be the first New York City office building to utilize these systems together in this way, the release says.
Advanced building control systems bolster sustainability. “555 Greenwich is pioneering the use of AI to efficiently toggle between the building’s multifaceted geothermal heat sources, predict heating and cooling needs in advance based on weather forecasts and occupancy patterns, and, over time, learn how to more efficiently transfer energy to and from sister building 345 Hudson,” the release says. “A key component of 555 Greenwich’s construction was a one-of-a-kind horizontal overbuild fully integrating the brand-new building with its century-old sibling, and the dynamic is a look at how modern technology can be integrated into older properties.”
Consulting engineers JB&B and sustainable design firm COOKFOX consulted with Swedish firm urbs to develop the leading-edge HVAC system based on concepts employed more commonly in Europe.
On the building team:
Owner and/or developer: Hudson Square Properties and Hines
Design architect: COOKFOX
Architect of record: COOKFOX
MEP engineer: JB&B
Structural engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
General contractor/construction manager: AECOM Tishman
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Aug 17, 2017
Toyota’s new North American HQ opens in Plano
Toyota invested $1 billion in the project, which was designed by Corgan.
Lighting | Aug 2, 2017
Dynamic white lighting mimics daylighting
By varying an LED luminaire’s color temperature, it is possible to mimic daylighting, to some extent, and the natural circadian rhythms that accompany it, writes DLR Group’s Sean Avery.
Office Buildings | Aug 1, 2017
Corporate values as workplace drivers
Connecting personal values to company values is important to millennial workers.
K-12 Schools | Aug 1, 2017
This new high school is the first to be built on a tech company’s campus
Design Tech High School, located on Oracle Corporation’s Headquarters campus, will span 64,000 sf across two stories and have a capacity of 550 students.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Jul 31, 2017
New Jersey office building will undergo ‘live-work-play’ renovation
The 100,000-sf building is part of a three-building, 30-acre campus.
Office Buildings | Jul 27, 2017
*UPDATED* This will be the largest flight training center in Europe and the Middle East
The center will cover about 30,000 sm and feature 18 simulators.
Office Buildings | Jul 26, 2017
Meeting space leads to innovation
PDR Principal Larry Lander explains how to design for workplaces where four generations are working together.
Office Buildings | Jul 20, 2017
SGA uses virtual design and construction technology to redevelop N.Y. building into modern offices
287 Park Avenue South is a nine-story Classical Revival building previously known as the United Charities Building.
Office Buildings | Jul 19, 2017
James Corner Field Operations, designers of the High Line, creates rooftop amenity spaces for three Dumbo office buildings
The new spaces range from about 8,500 to 11,000 sf and were added to Two Trees Management’s anchor office buildings.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Jul 18, 2017
Mortenson Construction incorporates 100-year-old barn into new Portland office space
Mortenson deconstructed the barn and repurposed it for the new space.
