A dynamic panel of building sector experts discuss a radical vision to ‘up-cycle’ outdated office buildings into healthy, energy efficient, live-work structures. Could this proposal address many of the most pressing issues facing New York, and many US cities?

New York has tens of millions of square feet of underperforming, midcentury office buildings, much of it located near significant public transportation. These buildings don’t meet the functional needs of today’s office-workers. This building stock is also terribly energy inefficient, and will require major systems upgrades and gut renovations just to comply with the new City climate regulations that limit the carbon emissions of existing buildings. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic and other trends are driving us to re-think where we work and where we live, with potentially enormous implications for NYC’s commercial real estate market. These existential forces are an opportunity to re-imagine how this building typology can support the future of our city.

Tune in to hear this award-winning design team discuss their proposal to radically transform this deficient building stock, creating a dynamic and symbiotic combination of both residential and office spaces, offering a pathway to new development in already dense neighborhoods that utilizes existing infrastructure, including robust public transportation access. The team envisions a future for these structures that renews their economic potential, revitalizes neighborhoods, greatly improves the health and quality of life for residents of the city, and protects the future of our planet.

Moderator
Justin Davidson, Architecture Critic, New York Magazine / Curbed

Panel
Stephen Cassell, Principal, Architecture Research Office
David McCarty, Vice President, Alloy Development
Katie Schwamb, Manager, Building Energy Exchange
Byron Stigge, Director, Level Infrastructure
Richard Yancey, Executive Director, Building Energy Exchange