Constructing high-performance, ultra-low energy new buildings to meet New York’s ambitious aim for net zero emissions by 2050 is a challenge most architectural and engineering consultants line up for. Working on existing buildings, iconic or otherwise, to increase resilience and cut emissions to meet current and future environmental targets is a challenge most architectural and engineering consultants shy away from. Apart from those at CANY.
Our teams work across all sectors, from the very new to the very old and everything in between. And although excited about modern design and architectural historical gems, we’re just as excited, nerdish even, about energy conservation and sustainability. We really care about our city and its people and work hard to develop buildings that sustain us in ways that tread lightly on our planet and its resources. We’re also very savvy when it comes to understanding the implications of Local Law 97 and how to embrace it to maximize a building’s potential, environmentally and financially.
Today, building emissions generate two-thirds of the New York’s greenhouse gases. Local Law 97 aims to mitigate that by carbon capping most buildings larger than 25,000 square feet, following two distinct pathways. One, to electrify New York within ten years, powering the grid with renewable energy. And two, to replace all inefficient and/or fossil-based energy, heating, water, and ventilation systems. At CANY we believe there’s a third, the better the building envelope or facade, the less energy the building needs.
We work with building owners, existing and prospective, to help them understand the impact of Local Law 97 and find ways to make their buildings compliant and futureproofed. Typically, we package the inspection obligations within the existing Façade Inspection Safety Program (FISP), formerly known as Local Law 11, to reduce costs, disruption, and headaches.
CANY’s forensic approach to sustainability means we review all public information relating to a building’s energy and water usage filed through the benchmarking requirements of Local Laws 84 and 133. This, together with the original design spec, or handbook, helps us understand how a building was intended to perform, how it actually performs, and whether the original design is fit for purpose today. We then build a virtual model of the existing building to measure how its thermal performance against Local Law 97 requirements. And from all of that, we put together the elements necessary for a retro fit.
Achieving the optimum performance is like solving a giant puzzle. A building’s performance can be calibrated for comfort levels but lose that energy through the exterior. Many older buildings are uninsulated with single pained glazing and an exterior that fails to maintain ventilation or retain energy, necessitating reliance on inefficient perimeter heating. That deficiency must be addressed instead through the efficiency of an exterior building enclosure.
A new or redesigned building enclosure, perhaps re-cladding or a high-performance curtainwall, is an unintrusive and relatively fast way to improve a building’s energy rating, especially for multi-occupancy buildings where access is difficult. The building can remain occupied, and work can progress to cover a floor a day. An efficient exterior that is watertight, insulating with a continuous air barrier, could also solve FISP safety issues as well as fulfilling Local Law 97 criteria. Mobilization for continuous spot repairs can be expensive, especially with a sidewalk bridge to protect people below. We work with building owners to create an analysis of the costs of recladding over costs of ongoing maintenance and building stabilization. A masterplan based on studying, testing and performance projections will give a range of targets from meeting the minimum to exceeding the code by 20% or even creating a passive house. These vastly improved thermal ratings reduce ongoing costs, save on maintenance and energy, and create a higher-value building to market.
It’s been CANY’s business for almost three decades to understand and embrace ever-changing local law requirements, anticipate what’s coming down the line and help our clients find the most cost-effective solutions to equip New York to lead in the global mobilization to reduce carbon emissions.
