December 18, 2014

NYU Selects Architects for New Multi-Use Building

KieranTimberlake and Davis Brody Bond have been selected to design a new facility that combines classrooms, performing arts spaces, athletics, and housing for New York University. The site for the new building sits along Mercer Street between Houston and Bleecker in Greenwich Village. It will replace the existing Coles Sports Center.  
 
James Timberlake said, “We are committed to an open and inclusive process with NYU, Davis Brody Bond, and our talented consultant team to realize an extraordinary outcome for an engaging mixed use building that contributes mightily to the neighborhood.” 
 
Read the NYU press release

December 18, 2014

HQ for Building Energy Research Nears Completion

At the Center for Building Energy Science and Engineering, the original wooden arches of this World War II-era building have been retained in the retrofit, and a new steel mezzanine rises within them.

The Consortium for Building Energy Innovation (CBEI)—formerly the Energy Efficient Buildings Hub—at the Philadelphia Navy Yard is a research initiative funded by the Department of Energy and led by Penn State University that seeks to reduce the energy usage of commercial buildings 20% by 2020.  
 
At the retrofit project at Building 661, known as the Center for Building Energy Science and Engineering, work is almost complete on the comprehensive transformation of the former Navy recreational building (unoccupied since the late 1990s) into a facility that will welcome the public and educate visitors about energy-efficient building practices. Staff and researchers have begun moving into the workroom and offices. The ICon visualization lab—dedicated to facilitating the use of virtual reality techniques in design, construction, and other disciplines—has been installed, and the telepresence room recently held its inaugural Building Steering Committee session. During the renovation process, the exterior envelope of the building was completely refurbished, and large expanses of new glazing were introduced in concert with a pair of new and retrofitted skylights to suffuse the workroom interior with natural daylight, reducing lighting usage and energy loads. Per the CBEI mission, all building systems are completely visible, including the main mechanical room, passive and active chilled beams, a low velocity underfloor system, and a split system in offices. Installation of landscape, punch listing, and commissioning should be complete by the end of the year.

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