Page 241 - Solar Power in Building Design The Engineer's Complete Design Resource

HEARST TOWER 211

FACTS AND FIGURES

Gross area 856,000 ft 2
Typical floor 20,000 ft 2

Building height 597 ft
Number of stories 46

Client Hearst Corporation
Architect Foster and Partners
Associate architect Adamson

Structural engineers Seinuk Group
Lighting designer George Sexton

Development manager Tishman Speyer Properties

GREEN FACTS
For New York City, the benefits include a significant reduction in pollution
and increased conservation of the city’s vital resources, including water and
electricity.
During construction the owners and the builder went to great lengths to collect and
separate recyclable materials. As a result, about 85 percent of the original structure
was recycled for future use. The architectural design uses an innovative diagrid sys-
tem that has created a sense of a four-story triangle on the facade. The tower is the first
North American high-rise structure that does not use horizontal steel beams. As a
result of the structural design, the building has used 2000 tons less steel, a 20 percent
savings over typical office buildings.
The computerized building automated lighting control system minimizes electric
energy consumption based on the amount of natural light available at any given time by
means of sensors and timers. The air-conditioning and space heating system uses high-
efficiency equipment that utilizes outside air for cooling, and ventilation for 75 percent
of the time throughout the year.
For water conservation, the building roof has been designed to collect rainwater,
which reduces the amount of water dumped into the city’s sewer system during rain-
fall. The harvested rainwater is stored in a 14,000-gal reclamation tank located in the
basement of the tower. It is used to replace the water lost through evaporation in the
office air-conditioning system. It is also used to irrigate indoor and outdoor plants and
trees, thus reducing water usage by 50 percent. The interior paint used is of the low-
VOC type, and furniture used is totally formaldehyde-free. All concrete surfaces are
treated and sealed with low-toxicity sealants.