New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has announced $13.5 million in funding for 14 projects in the third round of the Buildings of Excellence Competition to support the design, construction, and operation of clean, resilient, and low-carbon or carbon-neutral multifamily buildings. The initiative supports the state's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2050 and ensure at least 35%, with a goal of 40%, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed toward disadvantaged communities.
The competition has provided awards for the construction of 56 new construction and gut-renovation projects, including over 1,300 units that will serve low-to-moderate income households with 52% of the projects in disadvantaged communities.
We're honored to have one of our projects, the Watchtower Headquarters in Ramapo, New York, selected as a NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence Winner.
This multi-building campus project sits on a 249-acre site in Rockland County and includes a total of 10 residential buildings with 645 apartments housing 1,200 residents. Preservation of the natural landscape, as well as the efficiency and sustainability of the site’s operations, was at the forefront of design for the project teams. To support sustainability goals, Above Green is providing LEED Consulting Services throughout the core buildings of the site, including its offices, multi-family facilities, audio/video studios, and visitors center.
We're grateful for the opportunity to work with the Watchtower project team and can't wait to see how these sustainable projects shape up.
Learn more about the NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence and get in touch to see how our team of sustainability consultants can help you meet your project goals.
Hickok Cole has relocated its 100-person office to the Union Market neighborhood, leasing office space on the top two floors of the historic Press House building.
Visitors are immediately greeted in a colorful lobby space, reflective of Hickok Cole's creative culture and forward-focused designs.
The office unifies the design studio on one floor in an open-office concept intended to promote collaboration, communication, and connectivity among sectors and services.
Breakout spaces, conference rooms and a design library offer spaces for internal collaboration and client-facing design meetings.
Above Green worked with Hickok Cole to design their new interior office space to LEED Gold certification.
Learn more about Hickok Cole's new office here.
Looking for support on a project? Get in touch.
July is National Parks and Recreation Month.
Parks are at the center of many people’s experiences and memories, offering a place to gather with family, friends, and community.
Parks are also hubs for history and culture, making it essential to protect and preserve them for future generations.
Recently, we’ve witnessed local and national parks impacted by natural disasters. From wildfires raging throughout Yosemite National Park, to severe flooding in Yellowstone, and historic droughts in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the damage continues to pose a long road to recovery for people, wildlife, infrastructure, and businesses.
Climate change is the greatest threat to our parks, making it essential to rebuild and proactively develop sustainable buildings and infrastructure.
Sustainable buildings help achieve greater energy efficiency, reduce the consumption of natural resources, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Throughout the years, we’ve been proud to help create sustainable, resilient spaces for individuals and communities to enjoy while protecting our local and national parks like Midtown Park, Franklin Park, and San Juan Island's National Historic Park.
Looking for support on a park project? Get in touch.
Kona Judiciary Complex has been awarded LEED Gold Certification.
Working with Nan, Inc., Above Green provided consulting services to help honor the West Hawaiian land and pay homepage to its surrounding landscape by implementing sustainable features throughout the facility.
Learn more about the Kona Judiciary Complex here.
Looking for support on a project? Get in touch.
The non-profit generic drug company works to reduce and prevent drug shortages and price spikes.
We'll be working as LEED Certification Consultants and Commissioning Agents to help them create a sustainable home for their team in Petersburg, Virginia.
The healthy buildings movement is on the rise with no signs of slowing down. Now years into the pandemic, we're seeing more architects and building owners pursuing WELL Certification, which certifies parts of the built environment that have an innate impact on wellbeing and health of humans.
Two of our latest WELL projects include Garfield Elementary School by STUDIOS Architecture and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) HQ with Gilbane Building Company, both in Washington, D.C.
Green Building Is Warming Up
2021 was a year for reflection and revision on priorities, policies, and portfolios.
ARCHITECTS JOINED WORLD LEADERS IN TALKS ON CLIMATE CHANGE
This year, The American Institute of Architects sent its first delegation to the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, to raise awareness of the role of the building sector, to connect with decision-makers and partner organizations, and to advocate for policies that support decarbonization and adaptation.
At the 26th conference, nations agreed on the Glasgow Climate Pact, which states that carbon emissions will have to fall by 45 percent by 2030 to keep alive the 1.5°C (2.7°F) goal. This pact called for nations to return in 2022 with new, more ambitious targets to curb emissions.
PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNED EXECUTIVE ORDER 14057
On December 8, 2021 President Biden signed Executive Order 14057, accelerating the Federal Government’s efforts toward a net-zero building portfolio. Under the policy, all new construction and modernization projects greater than 25,000 square feet must be designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2032 and achieve net-zero across its portfolio by 2045.
SUSTAINABLE FUNDS HIT A RECORD HIGH
The U.S. sustainable fund landscape surged to a record of nearly $21.5 billion in the first quarter of 2021.
This Year, We've Seen Every Building Can Be a Green Building
With global climate initiatives and federal policies prioritizing a greener future, we've seen a big bump in demand for our services.
In 2021, we've onboarded 70 new projects across 15 states.
OUR NEW PROJECT BREAKOUT
With All This Growth, We've Continued to Up-Skill and Expand Our Team
OUR NEW TEAM MEMBERS
We're hiring for 2022!
Thank you to our clients and employees who have made 2021 the biggest year in our history. We're looking forward to a productive new year!
Renovations to Philadelphia's Second Police District Office have been completed.
Working with Murphy Quigley Company, Above Green provided Sustainability Consulting. We helped plan and prevent construction activity pollution, manage waste during demolition and construction, implement low emitting materials, and test and establish an indoor air quality management plan.
We achieved LEED Gold Certification, exceeding our original LEED Silver target.
Looking for support on a project? Get in touch.
Franklin Park, DC's largest public park, has reopened after a $21 million renovation. The five-acre historic square, originally established in 1832, hadn’t been updated since 1935.
Working as sustainability consultants, Above Green helped transform the green space into a sustainable neighborhood retreat. We implemented a storm water management system that captures 100% of the water runoff from the park, a green roof on the 2,200 square foot restaurant pavilion, and energy efficient features.
Learn more about Franklin Park.
Looking for support on a project? Get in touch.
Our latest project with Jehovah’s Witnesses proves that all buildings can be green buildings.
Above Green is providing LEED Consulting Services for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, where we’re helping to integrate sustainable design across the multi-building working, living, and worship facility campus.
Learn more about the project here.