A High-Performance Building at 4 Times Square

New York, New York Absorption Chillers Part of “Green” Building Approach

When planned construction of the new building at 4 Times Square in New York was announced in 1996, the project was immediately the subject of much discussion. This would be the first major new office building in midtown Manhattan in a decade. Its high-visibility location was This simplifies service on the chillers to further increase the efficiency of also part of it. The building owner, The and other mechanical equipment, and the building. “This was a complex Durst Organization, identifies the also permits installation of future project, and some of the ‘green’ building with the slogan, “At the state-of-the-art mechanical and features had never been used on Intersection of Two Centuries, at the electrical equipment as technology such a large scale, so we had some Crossroads of the World.” becomes available. adjustments to make. But we’re At the northeast corner of 42nd Street definitely pleased with the results, The building also features two and Broadway, on the south end of and our occupancy levels suggest 200 kW fuel cells which provide Times Square, the project and the that we’re providing an atmosphere electric power to the building grid completed building are highly visible. that tenants appreciate. We have around the clock. According to And also in keeping with the slogan, inquiries and visitors from around the property manager Jim West, the the building opened at the turn of the world to see what a ‘high- Durst group continues to learn ways millennium, in December, 1999. performance building’ is all about.”

CASE-SLX079-EN January 2003 New La Crosse he Horizon chillers Building Continues to Spark Interest in the penthouse mechanical room. T Excitement built with the announced All of the components were lifted into are modular in design, intent to build a high-performance position from street level by crane “green” building, with much while the building was under attention to environmental construction in 1998. and readily separable compatibility and building operating The Horizon units operate delivering efficiency. Since its completion in chilled water at 44°F (7°C) with a 58°F into three individual 2000, the 4 Times Square Building (14°C) return. The equipment was continues to spark interest and designed for tower water analysis. Many of the building’s components. This temperatures of 95°F (35°C) in and “green” features are unusual. They 85°F (29°C) returning to the chillers. range from the basic and practical, simplified the The units are also used in the heating such as having separate disposal mode to provide hot water. Each of chutes for recyclable materials, to the installation of the the units has the Trane UCP2™ exotic, such as the photovoltaic The units selected were Trane Horizon™ two-stage, direct-fired absorption chillers with Trane UCP2 controls, selected for their high operating efficiency. control panel, which interfaces with a panels embedded in the upper walls Siemens chiller plant management units in the penthouse of the building. package. The building is 52 stories high, of mechanical room. Chilled water from the Horizon which 47 are rentable space, an shell. Through the use of the newest recognizes the environmental impact because of its high operating chillers goes via variable-speed amount equal to 1.6 million square type of low-e glazing, the admission of central-station electric generation efficiency. “Our strategy was to pumps to two custom air-handler feet. The architect for the building of daylight for task lighting is and transmission, and the merits of minimize the use of energy units on each floor of the building. was Fox & Fowle of New York, and optimized, while the passage of heat alternative approaches. As mentioned resources, as well as avoiding Conditioned air is distributed the builder was Tishman Construction is significantly reduced, thus building earlier, the building structure itself, expense and environmental impact throughout the floor via VAV terminal Corporation, also of New York. The cooling costs are lower and comfort the use of daylighting, and the from electric power plant operation.” units. Durst Organization operates the levels are higher. photovoltaic collectors are all part of building, renting major spaces to the Units Lifted from Street this solution. Chiller Plant Close to Cooling Towers Conde Nast publishing group and to Unusual Rooftop Structure The Horizon chillers are modular in The mechanical room that houses the prominent New York law firm Another place where modern design Gas-Fired Absorption Chosen design, and readily separable into chillers and much of the pumping Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom. elements were used is in the support Another major step in reducing three individual components. This equipment is exceptionally spacious, Additional space is leased to a variety structure of the building itself, electric usage was the selection of simplified the installation of the units particularly for a Manhattan location. of clients, as well as retail space at specifically the use of over-arching gas-fired absorption chillers as the the street level. The building is fully “hat trusses” at the top of the primary building cooling units. The occupied. structure. These strengthen the design called for the chillers to be The Durst Organization is a major building by tying together the vertical located in a large, high-bay owner and operator of Manhattan structural members and increasing mechanical room near the top of the commercial real estate. The principals the strength of the building while building. The location high in the of the firm have a long-standing reducing the tonnage of structural building reduces the amount of interest in environmentally conscious steel needed. The “cage” atop the otherwise rentable space needed for building development. In this building, created by the crossing of exhaust piping, and puts the chillers building, the owners put dozens of these trusses, has provided a perfect in proximity to the rooftop cooling green ideas together to create highly support for large lighted signs, which towers, thus reducing piping desirable leasable space. can be rented out, and had created requirements and pumping costs. bays for a farm of communication The units selected were six Trane “Green” Design Consistent with equipment, providing a similar rental Horizon™ two-stage, direct-fired Financial Performance opportunity. The design contributes absorption chillers, rated at 620 tons Durst group emphasizes that “green” to the unique look of the building. each, for a total of 3,720 tons. design elements are not inconsistent Among the interesting approaches According to Jonathan Durst, this with the financial performance of the taken in the building design is the absorber model was selected building, and in many ways actually comfort system. The Durst make the building a better Organization asked the architect to investment. As an example, they cite find ways of reducing the use of the energy efficiency of the building electric energy in the building. This