COVER STORY, OCTOBER 2004

“LEED-ING” THE WAY
Developers strive to build the world’s most environmentally responsible high-rise office tower.
Kevin Jeselnik

In 2008, a new kind of office tower will rise in New York City. The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park, co-developed by The Durst Organization and Bank of America, will serve as a beacon for environmentally responsible construction. When the $1 billion project comes on-line, the companies will have created the world’s most environmentally responsible high-rise office building in the heart of the country’s largest city.

Bank of America and The Durst Organization are co-developing the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park.

The developers of the 52-story Bank of America Tower, located on Sixth Avenue between 42nd and 43rd streets, are taking every measure to ensure the 2.1 million-square-foot office building fits in perfectly with the surrounding urban environment. Bank of America and New York City-based The Durst Organization are equal partners in the development and ownership of the project, with Bank of America signing a 20-year lease for 1.1 million square feet, where it will establish its New York headquarters.

With the largest development site in Midtown Manhattan ready, construction began on the Bank of America Tower in August. The project is significantly improving the surrounding Bryant Park area, including considerable upgrades to pedestrian and underground thoroughfares and the rebuilding of the historic Henry Miller’s Theater. Most important, however, are the countless environmental considerations being taken.

Using the U.S. Green Building Council’s guidelines for environmentally responsible buildings, the developers are attempting to erect the first high-rise office building to attain a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum designation. The Platinum designation indicates the highest level of energy efficiency and environmental consideration.

According to Douglas Durst, co-president of The Durst Organization, “We want to concentrate on providing a healthier and better workplace environment [for the building’s occupants].”

The Durst Organization has a long history of providing New York City with environmentally responsible green buildings. Another Durst project, Four Times Square, built in New York City in 1999, previously set the standard for green office buildings. The company is deeply committed to continuing responsible development. The various collaborators on the One Bryant Park project share Durst’s vision. Bank of America has remained committed to integrating environmental policy into every level of its operations, believing that environmental and economic sustainability are intrinsically linked.

Bank of America Tower general contractor Tishman Construction and architecture firm Cook+Fox also worked with The Durst Organization on Four Times Square.

“Four Times Square was the poster child for the Department of Energy for 3 years,” notes Robert Fox, partner at Cook+Fox. “Nothing else came along in that time period.”

Now, with the development of the Bank of America Tower, a new standard is being set for the construction of green office buildings. Along with the use of mostly recycled and recyclable building materials in the construction, numerous considerations are being taken to ensure that the tower consumes less potable water and uses dramatically less energy.

Water conservation is one of the many focuses in developing the tower. New York receives approximately 4 feet of rain each year. According to Durst, the building will collect all of the rainfall the building receives and reuse it throughout the building.

“We’re also going to take the condensate from every air conditioning system and from our steam system — which is thousands of gallons of water — and collect that together with the storm water,” adds Fox. “Then, we’re going to treat it in a minor way and use it to flush the toilets and for the cooling tower make-up.”

To conserve the amount of energy that a 2.1 million-square-foot office building would consume, a 5 mega-watt cogeneration plant will provide power on-site.

“By using electricity on-site you save about a 10 percent loss in transmission,” notes Durst. “You’re able to use the heat from the plant to heat and cool the building, which saves you another 30 percent to 40 percent. Then the building becomes 70 percent to 80 percent efficient as opposed to the 30 percent efficiency of utilities generation.”

The crystalline skyscraper will employ floor-to-ceiling windows to allow in maximum amounts of natural light to reduce the energy needed to illuminate the building’s 52 floors. In order to provide occupants with the healthiest workplace possible, carbon dioxide monitors will automatically introduce more fresh air when necessary.

Aside from its efficiency and environmental responsibility, the tower will give back to New York City in many other ways. The project is a state-sponsored development. While this makes it virtually exempt from New York City zoning, with state sponsorship the inclusion of certain public amenities is expected. However, according to Fox, “[The building team] is providing three times the amenities that would be required under the current law. [Bank of America and The Durst Organization] want to be really good neighbors in this part of town and give back to the public with this building.”

Special consideration was given to the cultivation of an inviting and accessible pedestrian and underground network. Sidewalks are being widened and new stairways are being constructed down into the subway system. An urban garden room is being added, serving as a public atrium where pedestrians can enter and enjoy the building.

One of the most important facets of the development is the reconstruction of the Henry Miller’s Theater. Once a notable playhouse, the building has fallen into disrepair. Restoration plans for the theater include the preservation of the buildings historic outer façade and the complete renovation of the interior.

“The façade of the Henry Miller’s Theater is a landmark. The rest of the building was really in sad shape,” says Fox. “We’re going to totally rebuild it into a state-of-the-art Broadway playhouse.” The 50,000-square-foot playhouse will come online at approximately the same time as the tower in 2008.

The project represents the culmination of a 38-year effort on behalf of The Durst Organization to assemble the property and surrounding sites up and down Sixth Avenue. With the acquisition and development of the property, The Durst Organization now owns and operates more than 6.1 million square feet of real estate within a five-block radius on or around Sixth Avenue.

“[The Durst Organization] began to assemble the property from 42nd to 47th streets, between Sixth and Seventh avenues, in the 1950s,” notes Durst. “We saw that Third Avenue would soon be completely developed and realized that the next place to be developed would be Sixth Avenue.”

With this project, all members of the team have illustrated their continued commitment to the environment, to New York City, and to its people. Bank of America and The Durst Organization are creating a project that should spark other companies to develop equally efficient and responsible buildings.

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