Bronx Library Center Goes Green

The Bronx Library Center, designed by Dattner Architects, has received a Silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

The Bronx Library Center is the first branch of the New York Public Library to be LEED certified and the first public building in New York City to receive LEED certification, according to a news release from Dattner Architects.

In addition to its urban location with access to public transportation, the library center earned green building points by recycling 80 percent of the debris from the demolition of an existing building on the site. Of the total material used to build the structure, 20 percent were recycled. More than 55 percent of the construction materials were manufactured within 500 miles of the site.

Dattner Architects is currently developing the Green Design Guidelines for the New York City School Construction Authority in response to the enactment of Local Law 86 by the New York City Council, which will require the city’s public projects to achieve LEED certification or to achieve higher levels of environmental performance than city or state code requires.