Inhabitat: Architecture has delayed gratification in terms of realization when compared with other design fields. One Bryant Park has been under construction for four years now. To what extent are you involved in the process? What is it like to work on a project that takes six years from first sketch to completed structure?
Appel: I’m still involved daily in almost all aspects of the project, from the spire detailing to quality control on the installation of the curtain wall. Even after several years, there’s always something exciting and new right around the corner – not to mention that One Bryant Park is not your ordinary office building. Even still, staying personally motivated and keeping a team of people working over many years requires a strong sense of ownership and responsibility, as well as a fair amount of patience. Fortunately, projects this large are always broken down into smaller pieces, each with its own bit of gratification.
I like the ‘ice cubes’ idea. It’s not exactly revolutionary, but it’s great it’s been incorporated into such a big construction project. I’m a little surprised at the news on solar and especially on wind power.
Waterless urinals? I’ve seen them mentioned in other articles, but… men are notorious for splashing it about! If there’s no water to rinse down the full length of the urinal, merely some form of collection unit in the bottom, how often does it have to be cleaned to avoid smelling?
The news on rain water and grey water is great – both sadly neglected areas usually when it comes to new builds.
It is great to see a building that is being built to such exacting green standards. I sincerely hope it inspires others to follow suit.
However, the one question I wanted answered, having read the previous article on this building, is on cost. It’s hinted at here but no actual figures are given. I’d like to have seen some stats on how much this building actually cost, plus the expected savings from its green technology, compared to how much a comparably sized skyscraper would cost without all the green technology. Basically, is this one cheaper in the long run? If so, then where is the argument for all buildings not to be built like this? If it’s more expensive, then what government initiatives could be implemented to offset some of those costs for the sake of the environment?
Steve N. Lee
author of eco-blog http://www.lionsledbysheep.com
and suspense thriller ‘What if…?’