July, 2007 Cover Story

GREEN BUILDER RUSSELL ALBANESE

President, Albanese Organization

STORY BY FRANCES CERRA WHITTELSEY

Always interested in constructing unique buildings, the Albanese Organization seized an opportunity several years ago to explore the new world of green building. The Battery Park City Authority had put out a request for proposals to build what would become the country’s first environmentally advanced residential tower, to be sited on the waterfront at the foot of Manhattan.

“No one had done it (green building) in a high-rise building, and that started a whole educational process for us, a transformation of our thinking on how to build and operate buildings,” said Russ Albanese, president of the Albanese Organization, Inc., a nationally recognized development company based in Garden City that was started by his father and uncle 50 years ago. “We decided to take an all-out, holistic approach for this proposal, and invested a lot of time and effort to figure out what makes a high-rise building green.” Out of about 10 developers who responded, the Battery Park City Authority chose the Albanese design.

Completed in 2003, the new tower, called The Solaire, became a template for construction by Albanese of other green residential and commercial buildings, including the office building at 1001 Franklin Street, Garden City. That building, which used to house an A&S Department store, was the first green commercial building on Long Island.

It does not have all the features of The Solaire, which include solar electric panels and water recycling systems. But anyone who has ever worked in a building where afternoon sun created sweaty hot spots while workers shivered in other parts of the office, would appreciate the smart energy systems installed at 1001 Franklin. Highly-reflective white roofing went on top to save on cooling costs, replacing the usual black, heat-absorbing roof typical for Long Island, Similarly, the windows were replaced with high-

efficiency glass. A computerized energy modeling system controls the various heating, cooling and ventilation systems, all selected for their low use of energy. “Altogether, we demonstrated a 20 percent improvement in energy efficiency over code requirements in reviving the building,” said Allbanese. In addition, the paint, wallpaper, carpets and even cleaning supplies are free of toxic chemicals.

In an interview, Albanese stressed that green construction is not only good for the environment but also good for business. “There’s a market transformation that started at the consumer level, the ‘whole foods’ sort of thing, that tenants now expect more energy efficiency and better air quality,” he said. “If they (builders) don’t build green, they won’t get the value out of it.”

The Solaire now reportedly commands premium rents from people willing to pay more for the privilege of living more gently on the planet. The American Institute of Architects designated the building as a ‘Top Ten Green Project’ in 2004.

Albanese has become an advocate of green building construction, participating in conferences and forums as, among other things, a charter member of the board of the Green Building Council in New York City.

“A lot about being green is forward thinking, about building for the long term,” concluded Albanese. “It’s been very satisfying, fun and worthwhile. A winner on all counts.”