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The Solaire & What it Means for the Possibilities of a Greener NYC

 

The Solaire is both a functional and beautiful feat of architecture. We had the chance to get an inside look at the networks that allowed the building to support 30 floors worth of residents. Starting in the basement, the Solaire contains a waste treatment room with various pumps that recycle stormwater captured in filtre-like systems on the roof of the building. This water is generally supplied for domestic use as in for the toilets (even extending to the public restrooms!) and the cooling tower. Usually heating water costs a lot of energy, especially for high-rise buildings. However, due to embedded energy in the wastewater, 65,500 Btu/hr of heat is recovered which saves 40% of the building’s energy and makes it either net energy neutral or even positive. Not only is the building sustainable, but its staff are also very mindful of the water safety and treatment. Blackwater collected in the system undergoes intense filtration starting with chlorine treatment to eliminate fermentation that may have resulted from leaves and other organic material traveling from rooftop stormwater collection. Ozone further purifies the water, and UV light is last in the process, ridding water of possibly harmful bacteria.

The feat becomes even more incredible traveling to the rooftop of the Solaire. Thirty flights above the city, solar panels cover the top structure and little stormwater collectors dot the ground. An ‘Urban Herb and Vegetable Garden’ is even set up! Again, water quality and monitoring is absolutely key. Even down to the simplest tools, even a simple water collector attached to the fence has the capacity to notify the staff as to how much water is is being collected and how that might affect supply to the rest of the building.

While it might be difficult to install all the pumps and machinery that power the Solaire building, it is certainly possible to install the small stormwater filters and use perhaps hybrid green technology in order to store water towards the sides of walkways in Teardrop Park. Depending on soil composition and sunlight acquisition, small herb gardens could be implemented with community efforts to collect runoff in some of the more elevated areas of the park. Even the 9/11 fountains could reuse blackwater. Much of the controversy of this technique might result from the implication of using ‘impure’ water on a memorial. Yet, using the extensive Solaire processing and treatment, it is possible to make the water much cleaner. Idealistically the purification of water could even play into the symbol of rebirth and new hope to the 9/11 memorial.

Battery Park City

One of the most interesting things I learned on my trip to Battery Park City was that the park holds composting in high esteem. The park was originally created using soil and rock from large construction projects. The compost of every business and residence in the area is added to the composting facility at the park. I found that the park was similar to an oasis, and was truly a beautiful place. Even the library uses energy-efficient lighting. Many features were designed using recycled materials.

My trip to battery park city

My trip to Battery Park City really opened my eyes to the enormous range of possibilities that New York City has to work with by which it could become a cleaner, greener, and more energy- efficient living environment. I never knew that the fountains at the 9/11 memorial reused storm water. It instantly struck me that all fountains could and should already operate in this fashion. Using clean drinking water in fountains is surely wasteful and could be put to extraordinarily better use in this city and elsewhere around the world. “The Solaire”  was my next stop; I thought it was very cool, an almost completely self- sustainable building. I t was like its own little world. It seems as they have thought everything out, from the solar panels adorning the building to the in-house waste-water treatment system. The building reuses rainwater that it collects and brings a new life to grey water which is filtered and used for external everyday necessities like flushing toilets and washing clothes. The bathrooms in “The Solaire” have low-flow toilets. Next to the building there is a very nice park which incorporates green infrastructure into a visually beautiful space that is fun for kids too. Roosevelt Field Park has porous grounds which reduce storm water runoff as well.

Battery Park City

My trip to battery park city this time, was different than the many other times I’ve been there. It’s pretty weird that I’ve been there so many times and I’ve never known about the many different integrated water systems there. Maybe they need to publicize it more for more New Yorkers to know.

Anyway, my first stop was the Solaire Building. I found that the Solaire building is one of the few buildings in the city that tries to provide a solution to CSOs there. The building is landscaped for water conservation. The building is importantly known for its rainwater collection and graywater reuse. The bathrooms in the solaire have low-flow and dual- flush toilets. The building also uses solar panels, providing a sustainable power source to the residents who live there. The solaire is a prime example of what buildings in NYC should be like in order for us to be able to conserve more water during this time.

My next stop was walking around the solaire building, in which I noticed that there are many parks which incorporate lots of green infrastructure to the area. The green infrastructure reduces stormwater runoff which contributes to the area’s solution of solving the issue of CSOs.

Next I went to the 9/11 memorial fountain and the balloon flower. This memorial has the ability to use rainwater and grey water instead of clean water to attract tourists to the area. this could help further reduce runoff. The balloon flower is a great way to use art in order to help limit runoff in NYC. Using small fountains and drains that may use rainwater or grey water may limit the amount of runoff in NYC.

Overall, this trip provided me with more knowledge of integrated water systems in NYC. Maybe, if more areas implemented these ideas, we would be more sustainable and be able to conserve more water.

 

A Walk Around Battery Park

I have been to Battery Park City too many times to count but I never once stopped to think about the way that the water systems operate in the area. Being able to finally analyze and understand the concept of sustainability when it comes to water systems definitely made my experience in Battery Park more different but beneficial. My first stop on my tour of Battery Park City was the Solaire building. The Solaire is a great example of a potential solution to the issue of combined sewage overflows in the city. The Solaire reuses treat black and grey water and uses solar panels, showing the possibility of turning the entire city into a sustainable integrated water system. The integrated water system that the Solaire building uses combines sewer water, storm water, and groundwater. The solar panels provide a sustainable power source. The Solaire building is surrounded by many parks that incorporate green infrastructure into the setting. Roosevelt Field Park as well as Teardrop Park have enough green space so that the porous grounds reduce stormwater runoff. More green infrastructure can help and prevent future flooding issues. The 9/11 memorial fountain can be a start to creating a more sustainable future as the use of grey and black treated water instead of drinking water is a step in the right direction.

Battery Park City

Walking through Battery Park City I was struck by how beautiful and modern everything was. From the tall Solaire building to the geological structure at Teardrop Park, they give off a luxurious feel with an ecological friendly twist. It made me think that if we can turn a place like downtown Manhattan into something sustainable and beautiful, we can do anything. Knowing that the water was being recycled and put to good use made the Solaire more important. Small things like pervious pavement and extra greenery might seem small but can contribute a long way in our climate changing environment. Everything we have learned in class from CSOs to CFCs culminates in something like this. Even though the Solaire and Teardrop Park are older now, I still believe that they are representative of what we can achieve in the future. The first time I was there, the 9/11 memorial struck me as wasteful because of the large amount of water flowing down a drain. I had no idea what was really going on beneath the surface. The water is not wasted, rather it is harvested and used for the good of the surrounding areas. From pervious pavement to green infrastructure, there is real progress to be made and it starts in NYC. The balloon flower also plays a part in this progress. It represents some beauty in this system. Sustainable water management doesn’t always have to be a memorial, it can represent creativity and innovation, to see things that look to be light as a balloon but are really heavy steel. If we can learn to think in a new way maybe we can come up with new ideas to help NYC and the rest of the world become more sustainable with their water.

https://twitter.com/JohannaFarkas1/status/932371336667848704

Trip to Battery Park City

Being a New Yorker, I truly never get tired of walking around the city and my trip to Battery Park City was no different. I really do believe that New York City has the possibility to become substantially more sustainable and Battery Park City has already begun taking the first steps. As I walked around Teardrop Park and passed the Solaire building, I saw the great potential of using the systems already in place in these locations around the city. The Solaire Building’s bright solar panels, along with its reuse of treated black and grey water extended towards the park, all give a potential solution to the extensive CSO issues of our city. If these systems and technology are integrated into other buildings of New York City, we will be so much closer to creating a water integrated system that propels our city towards complete sustainability. Furthermore, I witnessed the large amounts of green space from the park and the streets made of cobblestones in hexagonal shapes around the area of the Solaire, giving the idea of permeable pavements and green infrastructure implementation in large parks, which can aid in the flooding issues that New York may experience more often in our future. If these ideas were implemented all around the city, we may be better prepared for the future effects of climate change. We would also be able to take care of our environment as well as solve the city’s problems on water control. All of these thoughts were racing through my head as I walked around and realized the extent to which Battery Park has demonstrated a proper model to be followed for the future of New York City.

As I continued touring, I came across the shiny red Balloon Flower and the 9/11 Memorial Fountain. The sculpture was surrounded by small fountains of water, all of which have the possibility of using treated black and grey water instead of potable drinking water. The same can be done for the large gallons that fill the Memorial Fountain day by day. Just by implementing water integrated systems into features of artwork in the city, it may be possible to raise more awareness of the need to become more water sustainable. Artwork has the ability to attract people and to deliver a statement or message to those who view and interpret it. If an added message of water sustainability is given through the artwork, then it is possible to attract people to learning about this necessary goal of the city. Artwork and raising awareness of important messages and goals have always worked hand-in-hand, and I do not believe this would be any different.

Is it too late?

Throughout the entire semester we have learned about the dangerous effects of global warming and what it means for our future in sustainability. We know what the causes and effects are but how catastrophic are they now and later on? This article from ScienceDaily presents research of what is irreversible and what is not. It gives a hard truth and a bit of hope to overcome certain disasters. Sea levels are rising and that fact is undeniable and unfortunately unavoidable. However, with a reduction of greenhouse gases we are able to prevent temperatures from rising because, “A warmer atmosphere can hold more water, so rainfall would be more intense,” says Prof. Betts from the University of Exeter. Rising ocean levels can mean severe weather for coastal regions all around the world. However, we can limit flooding, droughts, and other extreme weather by reducing the increasing temperature. There is a case study in Bangladesh were climate change has too much of an impact. With more research and more action we can turn the tide and save millions of lives from the destructive effects of global warming.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171116105020.htm

Battery Park City

After my tour of the Solaire and Battery Park City, I had an optimistic view of a future, more sustainable New York City. The Solaire building is famous for its Integrated Water System that combines storm water, groundwater and sewer water. The grey and black water is recycled and reused for toilets, showers and everyday water use for the building’s inhabitants. This minimizes the possibility of combined sewer overflow. Additionally, the solar panels on the face of the building allow for a more environmentally friendly power source. The building is surrounding by green space including Roosevelt Field Park and Teardrop Park that allow for more porous ground that minimizes storm water runoff. Teardrop Park, specifically, is famous for its sustainable efforts. For instance, all the water that is used to irrigate the park’s needs is from the recycled water coming from the Solaire building. The restrooms in the park also reuse black and grey water to prevent excess wastewater. No fertilizers are used in the park itself. Even the parks kid-friendly features like the sprinkler system recycles water and releases water for only 15 minutes at a time.

 

As I continued walking near the 9/11 Memorial Fountain, I realized how this integrated water system can further minimize storm water runoff that pollutes our open oceans. The 9/11 Memorial Fountain releases 52,000 gallons of water per minute. However, the water does circulate throughout the system every two minutes. If the water used could be rainwater and treated black water, this can further limit runoff. This powerful art display can be a voice to educate people about the importance of water conservation. One of the sustainable features surrounding the 9/11 Memorial is 400 trees that have planted that can absorb storm water. If the trees could have pipes that cycle and reuse the storm water like Teardrop Park this would boost the benefit of the excess green infrastructure. Similarly, the water surrounding the balloon flower can be recycled like the fountains in Teardrop Park. Even though it is not realistic to incorporate an Integrated Water System into every building in NYC, even if 15% of the buildings adapted this sustainable system, runoff would decrease substantially and the effects of combined sewer overflow would lesson dramatically in NYC and in our respective sewer sheds.

https://twitter.com/SabrinaMHC2001/status/932790338346942465

Battery Park Trip

https://twitter.com/GabiCohen6/status/931605159037284358

https://twitter.com/GabiCohen6/status/931605314461405185

My first thought while walking around the grounds surrounding the Solaire Building was “I want to live here.” At first, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be seeing, and then I understood that every part of constructing this building and the area around it was planned with green design. The area used rainwater collection and grey water reuse. Even the public restrooms use low-flow or dual-flush toilets. It’s bicycle friendly. Battery Park is one of the most desirable neighborhoods in NYC and the Solaire building sets a great example of what our future can look like.

I was a little more stumped when it came to the 9/11 memorial fountain and the balloon flower. I was thinking that the balloon flower has fountains on the floor and those drains can be used to drain rain water. However, I’m not sure how big of an impact this would make. Maybe it just draws attention to the fact that what we do to help the environment can go hand in hand with something beautiful. When it came to the 9/11 memorial, I assume many people think of the vast amounts of water it contains and collects, but I have a hard time trying to connect a memorial for such a tragedy to serving a different purpose.