This 19-story mixed-use hotel, orginally built in 1907, includes 137 hotel units and long-term stay suites. Located in the heart of New York City Financial District, close to an epicenter of public transportation. During the restoration, Vidaris was involved with the masonry restoration including overclad and reclad and facade cleaning and needed repairs, window replacement on floors 2-17, roof replacement and consulting related to both the existing and new roof at the penthouse, storefront replacement and the new construction expansion for the penthouse to the roof.

70 Vestry, a limestone-clad, residential tower located in Tribeca, is a 14-story building with just 46 apartments. The luxury condominium building designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects features sweeping views of the Hudson River through its large windows. As a Special Inspection Agency, Vidaris provided both monitoring in the shop and on site for Related Companies, including inspection of the precast, windows, sealants, hand-set and honeycomb limestone, and firestopping.   Photo Credit: Pavel Bendov Photography

The new University Forum hosts academic conferences, meetings, and symposia, featuring a state-of-the-art 430-seat auditorium as well as additional break-out and meeting rooms, faculty offices, and open gathering spaces. The auditorium is clad with a prefabricated concrete skin, whereas the offices have a glazed façade allowing in daylight. The transparent ground floor is both conceptually and physically open to the public. Following our shop inspections for the fabrication of the aluminum curtain wall, Vidaris became actively involved with monitoring the installation of the exterior wall at the job site, observing the embeds, the precast concrete panels and windows, the aluminum curtain wall, the glass fiber reinforced concrete, and the steel and glass canopy. Vidaris has performed energy modeling (a) to help the team meet the green guidelines of Columbia University, with 25% energy cost savings required, (b) the efficiency needed for LEED Gold and (c) NYC Energy Code compliance. Vidaris also led the effort to obtain the LEED Gold rating, providing initial direction for the sustainability effort, and during the entire course of the project, overview of the detailed work performed by its subconsultant, e4.   Photo Credit: Pavel Bendov Photography

The redevelopment of Macy’s at 422 Fulton in Brooklyn includes a new 10-story addition to the existing building to hold 620,000 square feet of commercial office space. This new addition, dubbed The Wheeler, will have floor plates that range from 30,000 to 90,000 square feet. Vidaris has provided consulting on the existing masonry building’s window replacement and cast iron facade refurbishment. We have also consulted on the exterior wall of the new addition and are currently providing site monitoring of said addition. The new facades include serrated curtain walls with decorative aluminum fins, and prefabricated steel-framed mega-panels with corrugated aluminum panels and ribbon windows.

This project involved completely restoring/upgrading the exterior of the building including all of the infrastructure inside (electrical, etc.). The result is a state-of-the-art, almost brand-new building. The new hotel has 355 rooms and include other amenities like a restaurant, a banquet space, a spa, and a “clock machine room” to operate the landmark icon. Vidaris has assisted with Local Law 11/98 Cycle 6 and FISP Cycle 7 compliance, and consulted on the restoration and renovation of the building envelope including the window replacement, terrace doors installation, and facade modification. Additionally we worked on the interface details of adjacent One Madison Avenue during the renovation. Based on our experience with existing buildings, we identified that there was forensic work of the existing conditions needed to establish the appropriate anchorage of the window into the existing substrate. Vidaris also performed and directed field testing to verify that the window anchorage was appropriate to withstand the anticipated wind loads.

Located on an elevated shoreline in Astoria, Queens, Halletts Point Building One is the first of seven buildings in a 2.4 million square foot development which features residential rentals, a supermarket, retail, esplanade, parklands, community use facilities, and renovated playgrounds. Vidaris’ façade consultants assisted the Owner and Architect on the exterior envelope. Vidaris’ sustainability team investigated the Enterprise Green Communities and LEED ratings, with the project settling on the latter. We provided full LEED Project Management services, ranging from initial goal setting sessions to detailed credit reviews, LEED specifications, submittal reviews, and preparation/coordination of the LEED submissions to the GBCI. Vidaris provided technical guidance on some of the more complex LEED credits, including preapproval of naturally ventilated spaces as an alternative compliance path for the minimum indoor air quality performance prerequisite. Our professionals collaborated on the integrative process, blackwater treatment and reuse for indoor flushing, selection of products with environmental product declarations, and material ingredient reporting. We also assisted the project team in achieving innovation credits, including sustainable wastewater management. Additionally, Vidaris at the request of the Owner, conducted advanced materials research and compared materials on the basis of environmental health.

Located in the East Rail Yards (ERY) section of Hudson Yards, a 17 million square foot development, this project incorporates layout flexibility and terraces, optimizing the workspace environment. Along with 55 Hudson Yards, Vidaris serves as the LEED/energy consultant for the Office Tower C (LEED Platinum), and Office Tower A, Residential Tower D, Mixed Use Tower E, the Culture Shed and the Retail Podium - all LEED Gold. Vidaris also provides the LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) consulting for the entire Hudson Yards site. Vidaris assisted the design team in increasing the energy efficiency of the tower by analyzing several measures, notably:

• High efficiency glazing with lower U-Value and SHGC-value
• Lower lighting power density in core and shell spaces and exterior areas
• Heat recovery of exhaust air
• High efficiency water-cooled DX air conditioners
• High efficiency condensing boiler

Vidaris’ LEED consulting has included documentation support of such measures as:

• A 25,000 gallon stormwater retention tank, with reuse for cooling tower makeup and irrigation
• A Measurement & Verification program for energy -related systems using metering equipment, the Building Management Control System (BMCS), and a calibrated energy model, to provide ongoing accountability of energy and water consumption
• High efficiency (MERV 13) filters for ventilation system outdoor air intakes
• Tenant guidelines including requirements for an organic waste management system for restaurants and cafeterias, to meet NYC Local Law 146 (Commercial Organics Law)

Vidaris also provided energy modeling for Energy Code compliance and support for the NYC Local Law 84. The energy efficiency and LEED work was cost-shared by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

15 Hudson Yards will be the first residential tower to top out at Hudson Yards and will be integrated with The Shed at its base. It will have approximately 385 units in total between rental apartments and condominiums. Vidaris is providing a full scope of services across its building envelope and energy/sustainability divisions, offering consulting, shop and site inspections, energy code compliance and LEED consulting.

The Pacific Design Center’s Red Building is the final building in the triad of towers designed by Cesar Pelli. Its design is comprised of two curved and sloping towers, the west tower at 5 floors and the east tower at 8, that connect by a common lobby. Above the general lobby sits the “Palm Court” terrace which is the slice between each tower, connecting each of the two double-height lobbies that correspond to each tower. 400,000 square feet of office space sits on top of 7 levels of parking. Each floor offers column-free, continuous-windowed spaces The Red Building is clad in transparent and fritted glass, held to its frames by silicone. Vidaris provided consulting throughout design development, contract document, bidding, performance and visual mockup, and shop drawing review phases, as well as monitored the site during its construction.   Photo Credit: Pavel Bendov Photography

The House at Cornell Tech is a 26-story tower with 350 residences for students, staff and faculty. It includes many amenities including a gym, lounge, roof deck and media rooms. The project is the world’s tallest and largest Passive House building, using up to 70% less energy than a conventional high-rise with its 9-by-36-foot metal panels with 8 to 13 inches of insulation. Working closely with the entire team, Vidaris helped to develop details to satisfy Passive House requirements while managing the constructability, construction sequencing and budget. Vidaris also assisted with translating and incorporating European requirements into project documents, including specifications and architectural drawings; these documents helped to ensure details, like air barriers and insulation, met requirements. Because Passive House has conceptual standards that are catered to 1-2 story buildings, Vidaris helped drive the discussion to develop compromises and decisions, which satisfied all parties, that allowed the adaptation to high rise construction where sequencing and constructability are important factors.   Photo Credit: Pavel Bendov Photography