Greening New York City
As part of The Durst Organization's Green Roof Initiative, the company has installed over two acres of green roofs, terraces and landscaped plazas across its Midtown portfolio. The benefits of green roofs include:
- Reducing and capturing storm water runoff
- Increasing the longevity of roof membranes
- Helping to reduce urban Heat Island* effect
- Providing additional thermal insulation
- Capturing pollutants
- Supporting biodiversity
Additionally, compost created from The Durst Organization's Organics Collection Program returns to our real estate portfolio as a soil amendment rich in nutrients for our green roof plantings. Other initiatives to provide green outdoor space in the Durst portfolio include nearly half an acre of landscape plazas and nearly an acre of private outdoor terraces for tenants to enjoy as part of their daily workplace.
Building sustainably is an iterative process and new methods, material, and technologies are constantly being introduced. The company continuously researches, explores, and implements new approaches to building green.
*The term "heat island" describes built up areas that are hotter than nearby rural areas. The annual mean air temperature of a city with 1 million people or more can be 1.8-5.4°F (1-3°C) warmer than its surroundings. In the evening, the difference can be as high as 22°F (12°C). Heat islands can affect communities by increasing summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, heat-related illness and mortality, and water quality.
- EPA