10 East 53rd Street - Manhattan, NYManhattan, NY According to SL Green Realty Corp., 10 East 53rd St., a 390,000 s/f, 37-story office building in Midtown has been awarded a LEED Silver Certification by the U.S.Green Building Council.
“Our decision to pursue a LEED certification at 10 East is a testament to our ongoing commitment to sustainability,” said Edward Piccinich, executive vice president of SL Green. “We continuously work towards improving our assets through property renovations and upgrades of building systems and amenities.”
After acquiring 10 East 53rd St. in 2012, SL Green implemented a capital improvement program to reposition the building and reduce its environmental impact. During the early stages of design, the decision to pursue a LEED certification was made and the team proactively engaged all parties involved to align the design and construction with LEED Core & Shell requirements. This preemptive approach helped identify cost-effective measures to reduce resource and energy consumption.
During the construction process, green building standards were enforced to improve indoor air quality and prevent construction activity pollutants. Building construction materials were selected based on their recycled content and their manufacturing location within 500 miles of the project. Over 50% of the wood used in the redevelopment project was responsibly forested and certified through the Forest Stewardship Council. Additionally, over 75% of the construction waste was diverted from landfills.
Through the use of low ozone depleting potential and low global warming potential refrigerants, SL Green achieved the enhanced refrigerant management credit. The Company has committed to protecting one acre of land located in Tug Hill Forest, New York for two years. An innovation credit was also awarded as a result of tenant education efforts accomplished through webinars and newsletters.
“The team believes that LEED certifications create a solid foundation for enhanced operational efficiency and higher-performing buildings,” said Elizabeth Majkowski, director of sustainability and senior vice president, operations for SL Green. “Utilizing LEED standards, low-flow fixtures were installed and mechanical and electrical systems were designed to reduce the water and energy consumption of 10 East by 47% and 6.6%, respectively.”
Looking forward, SLG will continue to capitalize on emerging efficiency opportunities and initiate LEED certifications. The company will pursue a LEED version 4 Gold Certification at its extraordinary development project, One Vanderbilt Avenue. LEED coupled with high efficiency mechanical systems will allow One Vanderbilt to achieve one of the lowest carbon footprints and elevate the sustainability standards for office environments across New York City.