Cornell Tech, under construction on Roosevelt Island in New York City, recently announced details of its plan to achieve Net Zero energy efficiency for The Bloomberg Center.
Designed by the architecture firm Morphosis, The Bloomberg Center is the first academic building to be constructed on the Cornell Tech campus. The first phase of this development will open this September.
The campus plans include photovoltaic arrays, geothermal ground source heat pumps, an energy-efficient facade balancing the ratio between transparency and opaqueness to maximize building insulation and decrease energy demand, and smart building features that will monitor lighting and plug load use. The strategy to achieve a low energy building is through a stepped approach, prioritizing reduction in energy demand through load reductions and maximizing passive and energy efficient design, as well as using renewable energy to power the building systems.
There are 80 closed-loop geothermal wells, each 400 feet deep, that were drilled below the main campus public open space. The ground-source heat pumps will be used with an active chilled-beam system.
An acre-sized photovoltaic array tops The Bloomberg Center and neighboring The Bridge building. The building designs incorporate the panels as an integral architectural feature. The array on The Bloomberg Center also provides building shading.
Related Stories
Building Owners | Dec 2, 2019
What building owners and AEC teams need to know about New York’s Climate Mobilization Act
On April 18, 2019, the New York City Council passed the Climate Mobilization Act, a suite of laws aimed to meet the city’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Codes and Standards | Nov 26, 2019
Updated ASHRAE standards focused on ventilation design, air quality in residential applications
Standard 62.1 and 62.2 updates provide new tables of ventilation rates per unit area.
Codes and Standards | Nov 25, 2019
Real estate professionals say coworking is not a flash in the pan
More than 60% say coworking space is in their portfolios.
Codes and Standards | Nov 22, 2019
Utility’s proposal threatens California’s rooftop solar mandate
Would allow customers to use solar farms instead of installing their own PVs.
Codes and Standards | Nov 21, 2019
Number of LEED commercial building projects surpasses 100,000
More than 2.6 million sf of space being certified each day.
Codes and Standards | Nov 19, 2019
Most U.S. voters support licensing standards for architects
NCARB survey shows strong support for architecture as a licensed profession.
Codes and Standards | Nov 18, 2019
Cambridge, Mass., teams up with utility on energy retrofit program
Buildings large than 25,000 sf targeted in initiative to further carbon neutrality goal.
Codes and Standards | Nov 14, 2019
Resistance to Toronto’s ‘smart city’ reveals pitfalls of such ambitious projects
Concerns over data privacy, governance, feasibility prompt criticism.
Codes and Standards | Nov 13, 2019
Heat pumps, strategic energy management could be next major focuses for efficiency
After lighting, efficiency experts look to new opportunities to boost energy efficiency.
Codes and Standards | Nov 12, 2019
National Infrastructure Performance Council to address ‘national security crisis’
Coalition wants to double annual level of infrastructure investment.
