Vidaris collaborated closely with Renzo Piano Workshop, Cooper Robertson, and JBB to impart sustainable features to this remarkable museum. Vidaris performed LEED/Green consulting as well as Energy /CFD consulting for: LEED, Local Law 86, Energy Code compliance, NYSERDA incentives, and to forecast the effect on energy cost of alternative scheduling for opening to the public. Vidaris also performed Enhanced Commissioning, complementing JBB’s work on Fundamental Commissioning. The building is projected to use 25% less than code in regulated energy (exclusive of vertical transportation, plug loads and kitchen), and 24% lower overall energy use, that includes all energy uses. To meet the city’s high performance energy metric and to save energy, the building features highly insulated facades, clad in pale steel panels, and triple-pane glazing, efficient LED lighting, CO2 sensors with outdoor air modulation, airside and waterside economizer, high efficiency chillers and boilers, and a 75kW cogeneration engine. Captured storm water feeds the irrigation system and the cooling tower. In insulating the building’s billowing façade, Vidaris performed extensive CFD analyses to protect against moisture condensation within concealed cavities. Ultra-low emitting materials, enhanced outdoor air filtration and a building flush-out prior to occupancy insures both the occupants and artworks are protected from contaminants. Vidaris’ consulting was co-funded by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.   Photo Credit: Pavel Bendov Photography

This innovative exposed concrete-framed residential tower by Rafael Vinoly Architects, rising 1,397 feet tall, was the tallest building in New York City to roofline upon its completion. The 128 residences feature large glazed windows (10’ by 10’) and 12-foot ceilings. The base of the building has a three-story glass atrium retail component. As the exterior wall consultant, Vidaris assisted in delineating performance criteria for the large-sized windows, developing the details and technical criteria for weatherproofing them, and then monitoring the fabrication and on-site erection. Additionally, Vidaris performed building energy modeling, thermal analysis, sustainable design assist, specifications, as well as LEED monitoring during construction. LPI, an affiliate of Vidaris, performed LEED Fundamental and Enhanced Commissioning. The post-occupancy engagement process of the enhanced commissioning is in progress. To enable the client receives financial incentives from NYSERDA, LPI is also performing focused review and testing of select energy efficiency measures.   Photo Credit: Pavel Bendov Photography

This unique tetrahedron-shaped building, designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group, is a dramatic addition to Manhattan’s skyline. Natural light, views, plants and moving water are integral components of VIA’s design aesthetic. The building facilitates indoor/outdoor living, with terraces and balconies throughout. VIA’s Garden courtyard, planted with 47 native species, opens toward the Hudson River. Among the project’s numerous awards: 2017 ACEC Excellence in Engineering National Award; and 2016 CTBUH Best Tall Building Award - Americas. Vidaris served as the façade consultant, retained for design assistance on aspects of the undulating exterior wall, with its high performance glass and aluminum spandrel which transitions into a stainless steel curtainwall skin on sloped roof. Vidaris’ sustainability team provided beyond-LEED advanced materials research, vetting materials for their environmental health impact. It conducted manufacturer outreach, reviewed emissions reports, wrote green specs and helped the design team select safer products. Vidaris’ energy modeling demonstrated a 19% cost reduction and 17.5% reduction in carbon emissions relative to the Energy Code baseline. During construction Vidaris performed inspections. In addition, Vidaris’ sister company, LPI, Inc., provided engineering evaluation of the stud and anchor welds for the sloped wall embedded assemblies, based on visual, magnetic particle and ultrasonic examinations.   Photo Credit: Pavel Bendov Photography

A $100 million student housing expansion, the University of Miami plans for a development that will house over 1,100 beds on an 8.6-acre site on Lake Osceola. The project would consist of 23 interconnected buildings with green roofs and two elevated courtyards. The bottom two floors would be dedicated to amenities, including a learning center, the Launch Pad for start up companies, a 200-seat auditorium, multi-purpose rooms, a curated “warehouse” for programming such as rotating exhibits, retail, micro theater and food service, a print shop, a bike shop and a recreation room. Above the amenities, there would be five levels of dorms. Social rooms and study lounges would be included in the upper floors.

1 Hotel is a high performance building designed and built to reduce environmental impacts. The base building was designed in accordance with LEED for New Construction version 3.0 to attain a LEED Silver certification. The project was a renovation of an existing building at 1414 Avenue of the Americas and is now a nineteen floor hotel with approximately 118,500 sq. ft. of gross floor area. The building includes hotel guest rooms, dining space, amenities and back of house spaces. A window replacement with added insulation increased the efficiency of the envelope. With high expectations of sustainability, the project utilized regional reclaimed barn wood that was available due to storms in the region while also paying special attention to the VOCs in building materials. Energy efficient and sustainable features for the project include: the mechanical system was retrofitted from a PTAC system to a four pipe fan coil system; use of low flow water fixtures; additional insulation; High performance fenestration; Reclaimed & regional materials; Occupancy sensors; Key card system; and High efficiency HVAC system.

Previously known as the World Financial Center, Brookfield Place encompasses over eight million sq. ft. of premier office space on the Hudson River waterfront in Lower Manhattan.  Each tower has a copper top with either a pyramid, stepped pyramid, mastaba, or a dome.  It was the first installment of Battery Park City and was a mixed use development build on fill from the construction of the World Trade Center.  Brookfield Place houses its grand centerpiece: a 10-story glass pavilion Winter Garden that features extensive public spaces, dozens of shops and restaurants, and a stunning outdoor waterfront esplanade.

Opening in the summer of 2015, Prudential Skyline is a new 780,000 sf, glass office tower designed by KPF in Newark, New Jersey. The 20-story building is the workplace of nearly 3,000 Prudential employees and has expanded the company’s Newark campus, with the new building located two blocks from the global corporate headquarters. At 309 feet tall, the building spans two city blocks along Broad Street and includes a 19-story atrium, 3,700 sf employee gym, a high tech trading floor, and 1.1 million LED light-up media wall. It cost $444 million. The building has many environmentally friendly features, including:

• A water conservation system that provides 80,000 gallons of rainwater retention irrigation
• Energy-efficient water chillers, heaters and other fixtures
• Two living green walls, including one with a design derived from Prudential’s iconic “ Rock” logo
• A 50,000-square-foot rooftop terrace featuring a jogging path
• Electric car charging stations in the parking garage

Located in a tight urban site in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Trevor Day School will have 12 stories with an enclosed playing area and green roofing at roof level. Stacked within the lower floors, are an auditorium, gymnasium and cafeteria, the latter lit at the rear by a sloping skylight. The tower above contains offices and classrooms. Vidaris is performing energy modeling, LEED/green consulting and commissioning.

The building uses the first geothermal system in Manhattan that places the closed loop pining in the foundation piles.  Extensive use of photovoltaics is being evaluated, with 50 kW of panels on the roof and 88 kW on south façade spandrels, having an expected output of about 200,000 kWh annually.

Other energy efficiency features include high exterior window shading, energy recovery ventilation, high efficiency lighting, and daylight controls and occupancy sensors, and underfloor air distribution in auditorium.

Trevor Day School's notable green features include no use of irrigation water, 40% potable water reduction for plumbing fixtures, enhanced refrigerant management, FSC wood, 10% recycled content.  Emphasis has been placed on IAQ with 18 or the 20 available credits in this category targeted. This includes increased ventilation, CIAQ plan and flush-out, use of low-emitting materials, MERV 14 filters, thermal controllability through operable windows and thermostats,  daylight for 90% of classrooms, 75% of other spaces, views for 90% of regularly occupied areas, enhanced acoustical performance and mold prevention through an ongoing IAQ plan.

Vidaris' consulting is cofunded by NYSERDA.

Soyak Center is comprised of a large core and shell office tower with sky garden (the Crystal Tower), a smaller office tower which Soyak’s will partially occupy, a 4 story plinth of support and retail spaces, roof gardens, and multiple levels of underground parking.  Vidaris worked closely on early design decisions and communicated ASHRAE, US-EPA and other U.S. design requirements to the local team to avoid potential problems with pursuing LEED certification.  Further complications arose from the Turkish project delivery model, in which design documents are turned over to the contractor at 75% completion and with minimal specifications.  Vidaris assisted the team in foreseeing the potential certification pitfalls and producing a more developed set of documents with robust and prescriptive specifications. Vidaris continues to provide construction phase support to confirm compliance with the more rigorous sustainable specification requirements.  Vidaris' energy analysis of the project indicated that local standard design assumptions would not achieve the required 14% energy savings over the ASHRAE 90.1-2004 Appendix G baseline.  To meet the requirement Vidaris worked with JB&B to test multiple energy efficiency measures including:

• Increased part-load efficiency and wet bulb reset controls for the cooling tower
• Decreased dynamic pumping heads on the hot and chilled water systems
• Lighting controls with occupancy sensors at back-of-house areas
• CO2 monitors with demand control ventilation at the large, variable use spaces in the plinth
• Lease mandated occupancy sensors for tenant office areas
• Lease mandated daylight dimming controls at perimeter tenant office areas

The energy efficient upgrades allowed the design to surpass the 14% requirement.  The team has also developed a tenant “ceiling design” in order to streamline the tenant lighting requirements and insure compliance Vidaris performed energy analyses, LEED/green consulting and commissioning. This iconic tower was designed by Pei Cobb Freed Partners as architects and JB&B as MEP.

This 123-story building is comprised of office, hotel, and retail areas. The project’s unique design includes an internal tower wrapped by a series of 12-story high semi-conditioned atria. Vidaris provided energy analyses, computation fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, and measure & verification consulting in support of the design architect Gensler during the design phase. Vidaris' extensive analyses have included the following:

• An assessment of the impacts of orientation-specific fritting patterns on the façade glazing, as proposed by the architect, as well as orientation-specific shading devices, comprised of both horizontal shades and vertical fins. These analyses included the use of RADIANCE daylighting software.
• An assessment of a TriGen system, which includes gas turbines (generating electricity and heat), an ice storage system, and absorption chillers. Simulations were performed to determine the optimal sizing and most cost-effective operating strategy for the system components.
• An assessment of HVAC system options, including demand control ventilation utilizing CO2 sensors, an under-floor air delivery system versus an overhead VAV delivery system, and several innovative energy recovery systems.
• CFD analyses to evaluate the temperature and air flow distributions in the semi-conditioned atria during summer, winter and mid-seasons. The simulations were used to assess diffuser placement and air flows into the atria, to ensure comfort at the occupied levels while minimizing overall energy use in these 12-story spaces.
• Water fixtures usage analysis to determine potential water savings for each of the building’s usages areas.
• Measurements & verification plan for the HVAC systems and central plant