370 Jay Street, Center for Urban Science and Progress, New York University

NYU’s 370 Jay Street transforms an existing office building into a healthy and collaborative academic and research center for NYU’s Center for Urban Science and Progress. Atelier Ten led the sustainable design process from the early design phase all the way through the LEED Platinum Core + Shell and LEED Gold Commercial Interiors certifications.

Located in Downtown Brooklyn, the CUSP building is the University’s innovative urban research center and first project outside its Manhattan campus. Originally praised for its mid-century modernist design, the building was revitalized to once again fit into the fabric of the neighborhood, providing programs that benefit the surrounding community.

Atelier Ten studied various façade concepts from full replacement to selective renovation and through multiple sustainability charrettes and workshops, convinced the University to invest in the improvement of the existing building façade. Atelier Ten’s daylight analysis optimized the exterior shading system that changes across the length of the façade of the building. The change in the exterior shading system corresponds with the varying level of solar radiation across the facade so the shading design provides optimal amount of useful daylight, while reducing the risk of glare discomfort for the shared workspace. The result is a façade whose windows and sunshades ripple from south to north, high to low.

Atelier Ten developed the energy and incentives analysis to assess a combination of strategies including desiccant dehumidification wheel, enthalpy heat recovery, and demand control ventilation. With the inclusion of a micro-turbine for on-site power generation and thermal energy storage to reduce peak energy utility demands, the project achieves a nearly 50% estimated energy cost savings and earned nearly $1 million of NYSERDA support funding for NYU.