dD+P "Greens" its New Studio in Long Island City Studio to relocate to newly designed office in May, 2008 Architectural firms often infuse green elements into their clients' projects - whether for their concern for the environment or simply a matter of meeting new environmental policies implemented at the city, state and federal level. di Domenico + Partners believes sustainability begins inside the studio. We are strongly practicing this philosophy by relocating our leased Manhattan office to a building we recently purchased and rehabilitated following sustainability principles from top to bottom at 3743 Crescent Street, Long Island City, New York. The move is expected to take place in May. The firm will continue leasing a smaller office space in Manhattan at 307 Seventh Avenue. After months of designing, rehabilitation and developing sustainable strategies, the new construction of the new building is almost complete. A major addition increased the height of the building by two stories--to approximately 16,000 square feet--approximately doubling the size. The sustainable building features a green roof and utilizes innovative automatic daylight responsive lighting controls. The daylight responsive lighting significantly reduces the necessity for electric lighting. The green roof will reduce heating and cooling costs from 25% to 50% by adding soil and vegetation as insulation, which also reduces heat absorption. Stormwater runoff is also greatly reduced, since a green roof system absorbs up to 99% of a one-inch rainfall. Andrew Berger, principal, said, "We have created a sustainable space that will be a great laboratory for ideas as well as a wonderful forum for showcasing green design and technologies to clients." Other sustainable measures, which will allow the building to qualify for LEED credits and eventual certification, include the use of recycled materials; energy-efficient industrial ductwork and lighting; Energy Star equipment; high-performance roofing and wall panels; along with more energy-efficient water saving fixtures. The building will also contain a spacious bike room, along with changing rooms, to encourage employees to consider biking to work. "This move wasn't simply to expand our studio space for our growing staff. We wanted to use all the sustainable insight we have garnered for LEED projects for clients and infuse our space with these elements," said John di Domenico, principal and founder. Click on the links below, arranged by date, to view a portfolio of construction photos: May 23, 2008 May 2, 2008 April 11, 2008 April 3, 2008 April 1, 2008 March 28. 2008 March 13, 2008 March 6, 2008 February 26, 2008 February 18, 2008 February 11, 2008 February 8, 2008 January 30, 2008 November 30, 2007 August 12, 2007 June 11, 2007