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February 10, 2013
Dagher Engineering Office
As part of its commitment to environmental responsibility, Dagher Engineering designed its office space to achieve LEED Gold certification. The design includes the build-out of 10,000 square-feet of office space, and incorporates numerous sustainable and earth-friendly elements. Dagher Engineering was the first engineering firm in New York City to obtain LEED certification for its offices.Acting both as the designer for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing/fire-protection systems and the LEED consultant for the project, the firm focused on integrating energy efficient systems, incorporating natural lighting, using sustainable finishes and materials, and promoting excellent indoor air quality. Innovative design solutions included:
Radiant cooling panels. Adapted to a building with operable windows, the ceiling panels represent the first use of this technology in the U.S.
Variable air volume discharge rates. A single zone system takes advantage of varying fan speeds without the added expense of installation—resulting in space-wide comfort and a substantial reduction in energy consumption.
Demand-controlled ventilation rates. Maximizes occupant comfort and operating costs by introducing variable rates of ventilated air based on occupant density.
UV lights. Incorporated into the design of the air handling units irradiating wet surfaces to eliminate the probability of spore entrainment.
Water conservation techniques. Dual-flush toilets and waterless urinal.
Kalahari
The Kalahari is a 249-unit mixed-income development on 116th Street in Harlem designed and built to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Certification standards, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance ‘green’ buildings.
The Kalahari is located in Central Harlem within walking distance of two major subway lines. It includes green features such as a fresh-filtered air delivery system that purifies air quality at a constant rate, Energy Star appliances that will help to reduce energy consumption by 30 percent below the New York State Energy Code, twenty-five percent of the building’s energy from renewable sources such as solar and wind, green roofs, and landscaped public courtyards featuring native plants.
Half of the apartments (120 homes) in the Kalahari will be affordable to households earning middle- and moderate-incomes, ranging between $63,810 to $131,165 for a family of four and $44,640 to $91,760 for a single person.
A Harlem-based urban youth enrichment program, called StreetSquash, will occupy ground-floor space along 115th street, and ground-floor retail and a movie theater will occupy the commercial space along 116th Street.
The Kalahari’s architectural team (GF55 Partners, LLP and Frederic Schwarz Architects) incorporated bold colors, textures and patterns inspired by African art work throughout the building’s façade along 115th and 116th streets.
The Kalahari was developed by Full Spectrum of NY and L&M Development Partners through the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s (HPD) Cornerstone program which builds multifamily, mixed-income housing on City-owned land. The financing included: a grant of about $2.7 million from the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation, $8.2 million in mezzanine financing from the Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group, and $95 million in construction financing JPMorgan Chase, with a bank group syndicate including Washington Mutual, Deutsche Bank, Capital One Bank, Carver Bank, and Commerce Bank.
Source: nyc.gov. see also www.kalahari-nyc.blogspot.com