The Conde Nast Building
The Conde Nast building is one of the most recent examples of modern construction ingenuity. Built far from the golden age of skyscraper construction, in a city famed for its record-breaking buildings, the Conde Nast Building is finely shaped and designed to be a model for green architecture. Many aspects of the building are sustainable; challenging what is possible in terms of eco-friendly design.
Designed by Fox & Fowle, the building uses an absorption refrigerator. This system uses the building’s heat, which is transferred to energy, in order to cool the structure. A wall that also acts as a shading curtain helps shield the building from sun and a number of chutes run down the length of the structure for employees to recycle wherever they may be located. The cooling system pumps in 50% more fresh air than is required by any New York State building codes, which is an important milestone in sustainable development. The building also utilizes solar, and a PureCell system, which provides longer lifespans for the solar panels and improved energy efficiency.
The building made history when it became the first to be awarded the American Institute of Architect’s award for green planning.
The building is only 48 stories, which is significantly shorter than other skyscrapers in the area. It’s the 41st tallest building in the United States, but it has seen numerous representations in pop culture. A fictional version was part of the Caprica City skyline in Battlestar Galactica universe, and the fictional office of Runway magazine (the workplace of the main character from The Devil Wears Prada) is located in the building as well.
Phineas Upham is an investor from NYC and SF. You may contact Phin on his Phineas Upham website or Twitter page.