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Green Buildings Case Studies
Brooklyn Children's Museum
145 Brooklyn Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11213
718.735.4400 (p)
Sharon Klotz, Director of Exhibitions (contact)
sklotz@brooklynkids.org (e)
- ASTC Article, "A Children's Museum Goes Green" (pdf)
- Growing Up Green, (pdf) Sharon Klotz (Brooklyn Children’s Museum), Hand to Hand, volume 20, Spring 2006
Architect: Rafael Vinoly
Building Size: approx 110,000 SF
Project Budget: $42M
Opening Date: expected 2007
LEED Certification: Going after Silver
About Brooklyn 's Sustainable Expansion Project:
BCM's newly expanded building is expected to be the first LEED-certified museum in New York City. Slated for completion in 2007, the full project includes an architectural expansion that will double our square-footage and a complete experience renewal that will bring to fruition a suite of seven new exhibition/programming projects, including one specifically focused on energy and sustainable design.
The Museum's Decision to Go Green:
For Museum leadership and the City of New York, the decision to create a sustainable building reflects and advances the Museum's educational mission and affords an opportunity to support ideas, innovation, collaboration, and public dialogue around issues of sustainability and stewardship.
How Brooklyn 's Project is Sustainable:
The award-winning architectural plan will achieve its LEED certification through several features: a ground water heating and cooling system, photovoltaic (solar) cells, glazed and insulated windows, automatic light dimmers, low-wattage lamping, low-flow faucets and waterless urinals, efficient landscaping, low off-gassing materials, use of local and renewable materials, bamboo flooring, on-site recycling and sorting, bicycle racks and showers, garden composting, city signage to encourage mass transportation. This project also receives "innovation" points for interpreting sustainability for children and families through exhibits and programs that focus on physical science inquiry and design innovation.
Project's Distinguishing Features:
- Climate Control
- Ground-source heat pump system
- Efficient glazing and insulation of building envelope reduces power consumption and use of reheating equipment
- Computerized, automated control system
- Low fossil fuel burning and emissions
- Electrical and Lighting Systems
- Photovoltaic panels integrated with exterior of building
- Auto dimmers interact with external light conditions
- Efficient lighting and low watt lamping
- Responsible Use of Materials and Resources
- Use of local, and/or renewable building materials (NY State softwoods, close sourced plywood, quick growth bamboo for flooring, regional stone and brick, etc.)
- Low-flow faucets and waterless urinals
- Landscaping for efficient natural water retention and flow of run-off to planted areas
- Low emissivity interior materials, adhesives, carpeting, insulation
- Encouraging Recycling, Use of Bicycles, Mass Transit
- Secure bike racks for staff and public use
- Shower facilities for staff bike and foot commuters
- On-site recycling, compacting and sorting facility
- Garden composting
- Signage program with links to bus, subway, rail, and bike paths
Piece of advice for others regarding project:
Don’t be overwhelmed. Think incrementally. Going green isn’t a binary either/or choice — it’s a process. On the other hand, if you are contemplating a new building or a radical redesign of an existing building, then take a stand and make the project as green as possible. Our planning horizon ought to be generations, not fiscal quarters.