Inhabitat: Maybe this is a question for Jordan Barowitz over at the Durst Organization, the developers of the project, but do you know to what extent being LEED platinum has been a selling point for the building, which I believe is almost completely leased?
Appel: The building is almost fully leased, and from what we have heard being green has made a significant difference. We are designing one of the tenant floors at the moment for fashion designer Elie Tahari LTD, and the green elements of this building were very important to them.
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…?’