The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park: Proving that Green is the only way to go

The Durst Organization's sustainability commitment is based on a simple philosophy that dates back to the company founder, Joseph Durst: "Leave this place better than you found it." The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park is a shining example of this commitment as the first LEED platinum certified skyscraper in the nation. One Bryant Park has a lengthy list of sustainable achievements ranging from significant reductions in water usage and storm runoff to the use of recycled building materials. One of their biggest challenges: reduce energy consumption by at least 50% while providing a superior indoor environment for occupants. The Durst Organization carefully selected key design elements to accomplish this goal, such as floor to ceiling windows with translucent insulation that maximize the use of natural light while providing an optimal view of the city. Another key element was a demand control ventilation (DCV) system from Aircuity to monitor indoor environmental quality and optimize the amount of outside air for occupants. Aircuity's innovative approach to DCV provides excellent energy savings solutions, while helping to ensure a comfortable, productive work environment for building occupants. A traditional demand control ventilation approach at One Bryant Park would have required nearly 800 CO2 sensors, placing a significant maintenance requirement on facility staff to regularly calibrate these sensors. Aircuity's unique approach captures air samples from critical spaces throughout the building and transports this air sample to centrally located sensor suites, significantly reducing the number of required sensors while improving the accuracy and overall integrity of the system. At One Bryant Park, Aircuity's solution monitors 800 different locations with just 40 sensor suites that are maintained by Aircuity certified technicians, eliminating any maintenance burden. Aircuity Advisor Services takes the ocean of data collected by this system and transforms it into meaningful information for One Bryant Park facilities personnel. "Aircuity's Advisor Services help us determine what's going on in our facility and zero in on problems in a much more efficient manner," said Don Winston, VP of technical services at The Durst Organization. "Ultimately we are able to determine if something is not working correctly and fix it proactively rather than waiting for an occupant complaint." By incorporating green building practices, The Durst Organization saves money, limits any environmental impact, and provides a better work environment for its tenants. One Bryant Park is proof positive that building green is not just the right way to build, it's the only way. Chuck McKinney is the vice president of marketing at Aircuity, Newton, Mass. and is a monthly contributing Indoor Environmental Quality Solutions author for the New England Real Estate Journal's Green Building section.