We caught up with Brian G. Schwagerl to talk about Hearst Tower, New York City's first LEED Gold certified office building.
Hearst Tower (300 West 57th Street) was the first building in New York City to become LEED Gold certified. Can you talk a little bit about the project?
It's a landmark six-story building and we needed city approval to do an over-build. Lord Norman Foster, the architect that we chose, has experience with making old buildings come alive again. He also has experience in sustainable architecture which really was not in existence here in New York City except for a residential tower in Battery Park. Making the argument to go green was very forward-thinking for New York City. The construction people were not familiar with it, city agencies were not familiar with it, and the people who were advising us weren't familiar with it. We had to learn from the Europeans and from companies that had green architecture on the west coast.
How long did this project take to complete?
The project itself took three years. We opened in October of last year. The idea of building the tower above the original structure was always a dream of Mr. Hearst. Little did he know it would take more than 80 years to realize the dream. I think he would have been very happy with the result.
What steps did you take in order to renovate the building in a sustainable manner?
When we hollowed out the old building, we recycled 80 percent of the original structure. We used the original façade, which meant we were bringing less waste into the landfill. We elected to go for a LEED rating because it gave us a set of rules to follow. That blueprint allowed our consultants to see how green our building was going to be. Every week we would meet with them, and every week we moved up the charts as we collectively began to think in a sustainable way. I would have been very happy if we would have had a green building, period.
We were ecstatic when we were able to reach LEED Gold certification both for the exterior and the interior of the building. That was the first of its kind in New York City and it helped jumpstart the green-building movement here in New York. We've given tours to contractors, developers, leasing agents, and architects within the tri-state area and all from over the world. The building has received a lot of recognition, and the interest in sustainable building techniques is also growing.
What are some of the building's new features?
The old building came alive again in new and different ways by housing a theater, two art galleries, and a green restaurant-style cafeteria called Café 57. The project was approached more like a home renovation than a simple construction project. This is our home, so when we reconfigured the lobby into a ten-story atrium, it became our living room.
We have 2,000 employees, and the building serves as our magazine headquarters. It is also the base for our newspapers, television, video, cable, and new media technology. The building itself has state-of-the-art technology throughout. We have wireless throughout the building so you can take your laptop anywhere. Our Miconic 10 elevators from Schindler cut down on energy consumption and are also some of the world's fastest. We have saved approximately 30 percent on our electric bills and about 10 percent on our water bills compared to a normal skyscraper. We also use simple technology like automatic lights and faucets. There's floor-to-ceiling glass throughout the building that has a special "low-E" coating which allows more natural light into the offices themselves, but less of the UV radiation that would make one hot. The windows also provide great views of Manhattan and of Central Park as well as the Hudson River.
There are simple green features and then there are razzle-dazzle green features. People loose track of the fact that sometimes it starts with recycling materials, buying materials that aren't from across the country, and making a conscientious decision when selecting furniture. You can make a stylish choice and ergonomic choice that is also an ecological choice. All of our work stations are made of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood. The carpets are made of recycled materials, both the front and the back. The ceilings are made of recycled material.
All of those things look good and function better for our people and for the planet. We have the cleanest air of any building in NYC, and for that, I'm most proud of. Our people are much happier with all of the natural lights pouring in, and having better air. Every bit of research tells us that more natural sunlight coming in, the happier our people will be.
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