Brooklyn’s First LEED Certified Condo Opens

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorNew York–Greenbelt, Brooklyn’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified condominium project is opening at 361 Manhattan Ave., with sales for the project expected to begin in February 2008.The eight-unit building includes one- and two-bedroom condominiums ranging in price from $599,000 to 815,000.Greenbelt was designed to save more than 40 percent on energy use and 30 percent on water usage as well as to improve the indoor air quality. 40 percent of the materials used in the construction of the building are recycled, rapidly renewable and certified.“Greenbelt integrates every aspect of an environmentally and socially responsible building,” says Derek Denckla, the attorney for Greenbelt.“We have pushed ourselves, as developers, to make this building as environmentally low-impact as possible, and we believe that it will be a positive addition to the community,” says Denckla.Gregory Merryweather, designer and architect of the project says, “This used to be a one-story plumbing warehouse.” Wherever possible, the team used recycled products, such as steel beams and studs and fly ash in all concrete products. Merryweather used a contemporary, corrugated steel façade and glass curtain-wall in a horizontal arrangement, accentuated by long narrow bands of windows on each level.The project inculcated a variety of energy efficient measures such as a solar energy collector on the roof, a passive heat recovery system, “smart system” lighting, Energy Star roof, appliances, fixtures and HVAC systems, a highly-insulated building envelope and low-e coated/doubled-glazed windows. Greenbelt is expected to save 46 percent of a standard building’s energy costs. The building’s proximity to public transportation is also an aspect of green design according to the US Green Building Council.Greenbelt is one of only three projects since 2003 that has received a Green Cinderella Award from National Grid/Keyspan, which is given for innovative building technology.