370 Jay Street New York University | Brooklyn, New York | 2018

Architects: Mitchell Giurgola
Client: New York University
General Contractor: Skanska USA Building
Photographers: Albert Vecerka/Esto

This is the story of the transformation of an abandoned mid-century office building in downtown Brooklyn into NYU’s new hub for media, technology, and the arts. 370 Jay Street involved groundbreaking sustainability initiatives that led to LEED Platinum certification, including facade renovation, fixed exterior shading devices, daylight harvesting, a microturbine, thermal storage, and practical strategies for flexible future change that can bring abandoned structures back to life as a vibrant hub for innovation.

370 Jay Street was built in 1948 to serve as the headquarters for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). It was a spirited expression of the future of Brooklyn with its limestone facades, large windows, and innovative massing. However, as time passed, the building fell into disrepair and had to make do with antiquated systems. As part of New York City’s Applied Science Initiative, The Economic Development Corporation partnered with NYU to transform this significant but virtually abandoned City-owned building into a vital hub for Tech Innovation. By retaining as much of the existing building as possible, the impact on the environment was minimized – an exceptional 91% of on-site construction waste was diverted from the landfill, and the project is anticipated to achieve a 46% reduction in average annual energy costs.

In response to the challenge of facade performance, the 80-year-old facade was reimagined, re-engineered, and reused to create an energy-efficient solution. Extensive daylight analysis revealed that the highest amount of annual solar radiation occurs on the southern facade, while radiation on the northern end of the eastern facade is relatively low. To address these variances, the depth of each aluminum shade and window recess corresponds to the range of solar radiation working to provide an optimal amount of useful daylight, reduce the risk of glare discomfort, and minimize the use of artificial lighting and electricity.

370 Jay street proves that it is possible to achieve LEED Platinum by transforming an existing building into a high-performing contemporary structure. Despite common challenges such as low floor-to-floor heights and a long, narrow footprint, the highest standard of design excellence and sustainable practices can still be applied to adaptive reuse projects.