According to the Related Cos. (www.related.com), the MiMA, its 63-story mixed-use glass tower in the Midtown area, has been awarded LEED Gold certification by the USGBC. The 1.2 million s/f tower featuring MiMA rentals and the rentals One MiMA Tower on floors 51 to 63, also includes the Frank Gehry-designed Pershing Square Signature Center, a live theatre complex, and YOTEL New York, an innovative hotel. As the developer of Tribeca Green, one of the first LEED Gold residential buildings in the nation, Related reaches yet another milestone with YOTEL New York, as one of only two hotels in the city to receive this distinction.
Built with a green design and construction strategy that is indicative of Related's industry-leading commitment to environmentally conscious real estate development and operations, MiMA is one of the city's first mixed-use buildings to earn four Energy Performance points under the LEEDv2.2 New Construction rating system. This signifies an over 21% improvement in energy performance over energy code and makes MiMA one of the city's most energy efficient mixed use high-rises.
"MiMA's first-to-market construction practices, energy performance and LEED Gold ratings are reflective of Related's continuous advancement of our building design, construction and operations practices and our steadfast commitment to environmental health and performance," said Charlotte Matthews, Related's VP of Sustainability. "Our residents who upgraded from other luxury rental buildings in the city cannot believe how much lower their electricity bills are at MiMA. We offer all the creature comforts, from a dog spa to a screening room, and an energy efficient home."
Energy performance
Related attributes its residents' low electricity bills to high performance features in the building like best in class resident HVAC systems. "The hybrid heat pump is about 40% more energy efficient than a through the wall air conditioner and extremely quiet. It's a variation on, and improvement over, a conventional heat pump, in that it offers the same year round heating and cooling, but uses landlord provided hot water for heating, not an electric compressor. Not using the compressor for heating makes it a lot quieter and more energy efficient for residents," Matthews said.
Other high performance features of the building include LED lamps that shine as bright as halogen spot lights with just a fifth of the energy, and photo sensors that automatically dim the lobby and common area lighting when natural sunlight is detected. As with many of Related's latest residential buildings, MiMA offers dual flush toilets and other water smart features, including rainwater collection for irrigating the tower's expansive landscaped roof terraces. Rainwater collection not only saves drinking water for potable needs, but reduces strain on the City's combined sewer system, which has outflows into the East and Hudson rivers. Additionally, the building has Zipcars parked in the garage, for which Related residents receive favorable rental rates, and electric vehicle charging stations. The building's leasing team also offers an entirely paperless leasing experience.

Indoor Air Quality
Related has long made air quality a priority for its new and existing buildings. The environmental health and safety of materials was a factor in their selection and Related cleans and maintains all of its properties with low odor and environmentally-safe cleaning products.

First-to-market Green Construction Practices
A particular area of innovation on MiMA was in the building's construction. Related set a New York City first in segregating gypsum wall board scrap, a major waste stream during the construction process, to ensure it would be recycled. The developer also demonstrated $310,000 dollars of electricity and lamp replacement savings by using compact fluorescent lamps for temporary construction lighting instead of incandescent, which was another first for new build construction in New York City and a practice that is now becoming widely adopted.
To complete the overall green construction strategy, the developer selected environmentally preferable products for everything from the sweeping compound used on site (pine oil based instead of petroleum) to the marketing banner announcing the project (recycled content).
Related
MiMA continues Related's unwavering commitment to green building, of which it currently has $10 billion completed or underway. Related developed one of the first LEED Gold certified residential buildings in the nation, Tribeca Green in New York City, Chicago's first LEED Silver certified residential building, 340 on the Park, and the nation's largest LEED Silver certified retail development, Gateway Center at Bronx Terminal Market. The company recently completed a collection of new LEED Silver condominium buildings including The Brompton, The Harrison, and Superior Ink in New York City, The Clarendon in Boston, and The Century in Los Angeles. In addition, Related maintains a comprehensive sustainability approach to its operations and management protocols.
Related Vice President of Sustainability, Charlotte Matthews, played a key role on the NYC Green Codes Task Force which undertook the most comprehensive analysis of building codes ever conducted by a municipality. Ms. Matthews received the 2009 Urban Green Service Award for her work. Jeff Brodsky, President of Related Management, is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Urban Green Council, The New York Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. Tags: