Spector Group designs 275,000 s/f green world headquarters for Pall Corp.

Spector Group, a leading New York-based international architecture, master planning firm, has completed a 275,000 s/f campus in Port Washington, New York for Pall Corporation. The revamped facility will serve as the new world headquarters for the Fortune 1000 filtration, separation and purification solutions company, whose annual sales for fiscal year 2009 totaled $2.3 billion. "Every aspect of this innovative design is aimed at increasing productivity and creating transparency so that the community, employees and building's visitors can feel connected," said Spector Group principal Marc Spector, AIA. "In addition, we employed the latest in sustainable design to reduce the use of energy and carbon extracts wherever possible, from low energy ballasts and fluorescent/incandescent lighting fixtures to the use of top-grade insulated and triple-glazed glass. Furthering the building's green design elements are insulated walls and a roof intended to create a thermal barrier to keep cold air from being transmitted inside the building." Spector Group oversaw all architecture, campus planning, engineering and interior design services for the building, which boasts an artistic, sculpture-like design scheme featuring: 35-foot ceilings; a floor-to-ceiling glass cafeteria module; a bi-level glass lobby space filled with bamboo and low cover plantings; glass-walled offices encompassing science and technology groups among open workstations; a café and galleries lit by skylights; and numerous light wells throughout the space. The facility is the size of three football fields. In its role as design and lead architect, Spector closely analyzed Pall's two existing facilities in Nassau County, Long Island before arriving at the optimal, most cost effective solution for housing the company's offices, research and development spaces and laboratories. Pall expanded its Port Washington location, consolidating operations into one modernized, environmentally-friendly space. "All parties worked closely with one another to form a true partnership - general contractor and construction manager J.T. Magen & Company Inc. and the project manager and owner's representative VVA, as well as our firm and Pall - which led to the design being seamlessly brought to reality both on schedule and within budget," said Spector, who also notes that the project's approval process was expedited due to overwhelming support from the town of North Hempstead and its surrounding community.