Materials & Construction
Narrative:
More than 33% of the materials in the building, by cost, were harvested or manufactured within 500 miles of the project site. Locally salvaged hemlock was used for the concrete formwork, and black locust certified to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards was used for the bridges, outdoor benches, and brise-soleil. The building siding is FSC-certified western red cedar.
The wallboard, tile, carpet, office systems and bathroom partitions all contain recycled content, and the concrete used for cast-in-place and architectural applications includes blast furnace slag and recycled steel reinforcing.
The project team also selected materials to improve the indoor environmental quality. The colors of exterior surfaces were selected to reflect light, cooling interior spaces. A wooden brise-soleil and low-emissivity glass wrap the western and southern walls of the building, deflecting harsh sun and blocking ultraviolet rays. All interior finishes contain low or no volatile organic compounds.
The Queens Botanical Garden has implemented a comprehensive recycling and waste-reduction program.
source: http://www.aiatopten.org