Green Building Competition for NYC

New York City is the leader in so many fields, why not in green building design? The City of New York and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have teamed up to sponsor the third Green Building Competition for New York City. This national competition is meant to draw professionals and students from across the environmental field to present their innovative green building design projects and ideas for New York City. This year’s theme is integration. The competition is specifically seeking out projects and proposals that epitomize fully integrated, sustainable buildings that assimilate the surrounding community. For example:

• INTEGRATE CONSTRUCTION…projects that utilize whole building design principles to optimize utilization of material, natural and financial resources

• INTEGRATE OCCUPANCY…projects that incorporate post occupancy concerns into the project’s overall objectives

• INTEGRATE COMMUNITY…projects that incorporate green buildings into the existing landscape and fabric of the community, highlighting environmental, economic, and social contributions.

Submissions will be judged according to several design criteria, many of which are applicable to residential development, including:

Mitigate urban heat island effect (vegetative roofs, high albedo roofing and paving materials).

Develop and implement a site protection plan prior to construction in order to protect, rescue or salvage top soil and trees/vegetation; mitigate dust, smoke, noise, odors; and control wastewater runoff.

Optimize buildings energy performance. Specifically, demonstrate achievement of EPA’s Energy Star for Buildings or equivalent.

Produce on-site renewable power.

Purchase green power.

Reduce or eliminate the use of potable water for landscape irrigation and
other uses the do not require potable, water—including, but not limited to,
water features, equipment washing, and toilet flushing

Implement water conservation design features (water-conserving fixtures,
grey water system)

Reduce storm water runoff from site, roof, building surfaces

Optimize construction and deconstruction waste minimization and
recycling efforts

Provide facilities for the storage and collection of recyclables

Incorporate materials that are resource efficient (recycled content, reused
materials, easily reusable and/or easily recycled matierials)

Incorporate materials with reduced life cycle impacts ( low embodied
energy, sustainably harvested or rapidly renewable, locally extracted and
manufactured, biodegradable upon disposal)

Incorporate low-emitting materials (adhesives and sealants, paints and
coatings, carpet systems, composite wood and agrifiber products)

Maximize daylight and views (glazing, solar access, dimmers, monitors,
atria).

Increase and monitor outside air ventilation.

Promote controllability of systems (lighting and thermal comfort).


Incorporate and expose natural systems or materials to build upon
biophilia principles in buildings.

Submitted designs may refer to buildings that have already been built, buildings that have been designed or are under construction, or buildings that are purely conceptual. So here's a chance to share the methods and designs you used to green your home, or, if you haven't done so yet, to let your imagination run wild and design the greenest home you can think of for NYC.