New High-Efficiency High-Rise Breaks Ground in Manhattan

August 11, 2004

Conceptual image of the Bank of America Tower shows multiple glass planes tapering toward the top, similar to a faceted crystal.

The new tower will be a striking addition to mid-town Manhattan.
©dbox for Cook+Fox Architects LLP

The Bank of America and the Durst Organization broke ground on August 2nd on a new high-rise building in midtown Manhattan that aims to set a new standard for environmental responsibility. The Bank of America Tower will strive to be the first high-rise office building to earn a Platinum LEED rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, in part by cutting energy use to half that of a typical high-rise building. The building will feature high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows to allow maximum daylighting. To avoid unwanted heat gain, the windows will combine double-wall technology and translucent insulating glass. The natural daylighting will be combined with daylight dimming and LED lights to reduce electric use, and a planted "green roof" will reduce the building's contribution to the urban heat island effect in New York City.

The new tower will also include an onsite 4.6-megawatt cogeneration plant to meet the building's energy requirements. A thermal storage system will produce ice in the evenings, which will reduce the building's demand on the city's electrical grid during the day. Each floor will have its own air-handling unit to provide cool air via an under-floor displacement system, and carbon dioxide monitors will automatically introduce more fresh air when necessary.

When completed in 2008, the 2.1-million-square-foot, 52-story office tower will serve as Bank of America's New York headquarters. See the press release and other information on the building on the Durst Web site.