A Zero-Energy Building Grows in Brooklyn

The Red Hook neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, with its funky industrial roots, is quickly becoming a hotbed of innovation. Case in point: A new development project along the waterfront here may set the gold standard in green living. When completed, Redhook Green will be New York City's first "zero-energy" building.

"I lived in Cobble Hill from 2002 until 2005 and loved Brooklyn," says Jay Amato, CEO of PersonalScreen Media, who is the developer behind the project. "I used to ride around Red Hook and fell in love with the quiet streets, the beauty of the waterfront and that gritty New England feeling,"

Amato currently lives in Tribeca, a chic downtown neighborhood in Manhattan, but he's recently tired of the traffic and congestion. He decided to return to Brooklyn and settle down in Red Hook. Alas, the plans for Redhook Green were born. It breaks ground in February.

The design of the building is inspired by the shipping containers stacked along the adjacent waterfront, according to Amato. The modular units in the structure are specifically arranged to create a range of terraces and overviews. Some of the other impressive green attributes: It's expected to have wall and roof systems vented to eliminate moisture build-up, a south-facing solar wall that generates warm air, which is fed into the building ventilation system, and heating and cooling provided by high-efficiency electric heat pumps, among other features.


Amato didn't intend on making the approximately 4,000-square-foot building zero-energy -- meaning that renewable technologies supersede traditional energy sources -- when he first began designing it. But after reviewing some of the attributes he wanted for the building -- such as energy and water efficiency as well as use of sustainable materials -- he realized zero-energy was within his reach.

"After deciding on Jim Garrison and his team at (Brooklyn-based) Garrison Architects, we began to discuss a study they were doing for the U.S. government to provide sustainable housing for the U.S. Border Patrol across the northern and southern borders," Amato said. "It became obvious to me that zero-energy was not as difficult and expensive as many think, and based on (Garrison's) research and experience from other projects, we decided that we could upgrade energy efficient to zero-energy without a great deal of extra expense or design compromises."

Amato feels the zero-energy effort is something that will take shape throughout the world and is looking forward to being a part of it.

"I can't think of a more exciting place to be than that in the business of zero-energy buildings," he says. "It is clearly the direction of governments around the country and the world: Many believe that by 2030 all new buildings will be self-sufficient. California and the EU have established ambitious goals of getting there and are now considering legislation to require it. I believe we are at a place where it makes good financial sense to consider this as part of all new building projects."