Dan Shannon Speaks with Nareit About Sustainability at THE PENN DISTRICT

MdeAS Architects and Vornado Realty Trust have completed the latest stage in the transformation of midtown Manhattan’s PENN DISTRICT—a project that involves updating iconic New York properties, enhancing their sustainability, and introducing green space into the immediate neighborhood—with the full renovation of a 1970s office tower, PENN 2.

Often, when a developer looks at a 1970s building with outdated systems and style, the instinct is to tear it down and reclaim the land for a new building. But for Vornado, sustainability drives every decision. "The greenest possible choice in construction is to renovate an older building rather than build something new", says Dan Shannon, MdeAS Managing Partner.

In the redevelopment of PENN 2, the decision was made to keep as much of the original building as possible, which made a large contribution toward reducing embodied carbon emissions by 75%, as compared to constructing new. Innovative techniques such as installing energy-efficient systems, using triple-glazed glass for the building envelope, and implementing sustainability measures like composting programs and tenant controls transform PENN 2 into a high-performing, world-class office environment.

Read more in this article from Nareit.