NYAS Conference Center is Certifiably Green

NYAS is located at 7 World Trade Center, the first commercial office building in New York City to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, where it won a Gold rating. The building was one of the first projects accepted to be part of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Pilot Program for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Core and Shell Development (LEED-CS).

If conserving the environment is important to you and your organization, then hosting an event in the one of most green-friendly buildings in NYC should be at the top of your agenda. Clients such as General Electric (GE) and the US Green Building Council (USGBC) reserved their events at the NYAS conference center specifically for World Trade Center 7’s LEED status. Read below for more information about LEED Certification or visit the LEED Website.

Setting a New Standard in Sustainable Design

7 World Trade Center is a pioneer in terms of environmental responsibility, energy efficiency, and quality of life. The building has already been recognized with awards from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Municipal Arts Society of New York and the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter. 7 WTC is a model of the kind of collaborative efforts that will define the development of the other buildings at the World Trade Center site. Silverstein Properties worked with contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers, as well as government agencies and leading environmental organizations, to develop and implement a variety of environmental innovations.

First NYC LEED Office Building

7 World Trade Center is the first commercial office building in New York City to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, where it won a Gold rating. The building was one of the first projects accepted to be part of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Pilot Program for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Core and Shell Development (LEED-CS).

Green Design Features

Green design features of 7 WTC benefit tenants and the broader community:

•	7 WTC offers tenants the ability to provide direct daylight and outside views for more than 90 percent of their regularly occupied space.
•	Full-height low-iron glass allows tenants to reduce energy costs by installing daylight dimming controls.
•	One hundred percent of 7 WTC’s core-and-shell electricity needs will come from renewable energy.
•	In a typical business year, electricity costs at 7 WTC will be approximately 35 percent lower than in a generic Manhattan office building, due in part to a power purchase agreement with New York Power Authority.
•	Environmental innovations at 7 WTC exceed traditional office buildings, such as:

• High-efficiency cooling/heating systems (beyond current code requirements), with high-efficiency filters in all A/C units to improve indoor air quality;
• Use of paints that are low in volatile organic compounds;
• High-efficiency plumbing systems that will reduce water consumption throughout the building by at least 30 percent;
• Collection of rainwater from the roof for irrigation of the nearby park and for the cooling tower;
• Carbon dioxide sensors throughout the building;
• No use of ozone-depleting HCFC refrigerants;
• Building materials that will include post-consumer recycled content; and
• A minimum of 50 percent of the building’s wood will be certified as sustainably harvested.

Clean Construction

Commitment to environmental excellence at 7 WTC began with construction. Through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Project, ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel was used in combination with innovative filter technologies to reduce diesel emissions from heavy construction equipment by as much as 90 percent. This improves quality of life for our neighbors and those who work in the area, and helps mitigate smog, acid rain, and water pollution. In April 2004, EPA Region 2 Administrator Jane Kenny presented Silverstein Properties with a 2004 Environmental Quality Award for “demonstrating clean construction and improved air quality” and providing a “model for other businesses.” In May 2004, the EPA enacted a new rule to require less diesel pollution from construction equipment. The rule calls for sulfur content of 15 parts per million by 2010 – a standard that is already being met at 7 WTC.