545 Madison Ave. cited as national model of sustainability

545 Madison Ave., a 17-story, class A building in the Plaza District that stands as one of New York City's greenest new office towers, was highlighted as a model of sustainability at a recent "Retrofitting Commercial Buildings to be Green" conference sponsored by the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C. The 140,000 s/f Manhattan property boasts numerous sustainable features and is on track to earn Gold LEED status from the U.S. Green Building Council. The building is drawing heavy interest from tenants in search of top-tier office space. "In today's market, New York City tenants have the opportunity to be discerning, and are seeking out the highest-quality office space," said LCOR senior vice president David Sigman. "545 Madison not only provides best-in-class product in a globally renowned city, but exemplifies LCOR's corporate commitment to sustainable development." Located on the corner of East 55th Street, full floors range in size from 4,900 to 9,300 s/f, in addition to a 900 s/f penthouse. The building features hotel-like amenities, as well as state of-the-art electrical and mechanical systems. "545 Madison's projected LEED Gold certification means we are delivering a first-rate interior environment that minimizes our impact on the world outside," said Sigman. "In addition to reducing energy usage and energy spending, the building's eco-friendly design contributes to workplace productivity and helps reduce absenteeism." LCOR completed a gut rehabilitation of the property under guidelines of the LEED Core & Shell system (LEED-CS) with a view toward Gold certification. Renovation included a fully pre-built office floor for smaller users. The 8,800 s/f floor is designed to meet LEED Commercial Interior specifications. The building uses low-emitting building materials, extensive recycled content and renewable power sources. Individual offices have their own thermal controls. The structure features water-conserving bathrooms and reaps the benefit of at least 93 percent sunlight/daylight illumination. Building materials include wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, as well as post-industrial and post-consumer recycled steel, metal, carpeting, aluminum, gypsum board and insulation. Gut rehabilitation began in 2007, when the half-century-old structure was stripped to its skeletal frame and subsequently transformed into a "trophy" boutique office building. LCOR participated in a ULI workshop on green retrofits held in conjunction with the Institute's conference. LCOR executive vice president William Hard, based in the company's Bethesda, MD office, covered ways to reduce operating costs and achieve higher energy efficiency by upgrading and renovating existing building systems and components. ULI is a nonprofit research and education organization that provides leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. In addition to 545 Madison, another "green" LCOR project highlighted by Hard at the ULI seminar was the North Bethesda Center mixed-used, master-planned development outside Washington, which features a 17,500 s/f "green roof" designed to reduce or eliminate heat gain in the building.