A Look Inside The Newest World Trade Center Tower

The World Trade Center complex is once again inching toward completion.  7 World Trade was Larry Silverstein’s first completed development on the hollow ground.  This 47-story, 743 ft. tall glass tower has slowly started to see some new neighbors move back into the hood.  One World trade, which is slated for a completion date within the next few months, has lately claimed so much fame after topping out slightly before Hurricane Sandy.  While two other projects remain stalled (the developer is not moving forward until having committed tenants), a third building has quietly climbed 978 feet up into the sky.

The Real Deal went on a behind the scenes tour of the new building.  The photos below have been taken from the article which can be read in full detail here.  4 World Trade is scheduled to before the end of the year.  

Green Roofs From Across The World (via BuzzBuzzHome)

President Obama is starting to get serious about climate change.  In recent talks, he has mentioned the need for massive increases in green living.  Anyone who lives in an urban core can tell you how hot and unbearable the summers can get.  A great way to combat both air quality and spikes in urban core temperature readings comes in the form of green roofs.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been a leader in bringing green roofs to one of the largest cities in the world.  The city even announced the rise of rooftop agriculture with the largest urban farm in the US currently under construction on a Brooklyn rooftop.  Bloomberg, Obama, and politicians across the world are leading the way in reclaiming urban space for non-industrial use.

These green roofs serve a variety of purposes that are both helpful to those in the building, and everyone around.  First and foremost, green roofs lower the temperature of the buildings roof by considerable amounts.  Rather than having black tar or reflective tin roofs that can sizzle in with surface temperatures upwards of 130 degrees, green roofs rarely get hotter than the actual air temperature.  Roof or rain gardens also help with rain water run off, something that is a major issue in coastal cities.  Rain gardens filter excess water, and some can even store water to be used by the building tenants later on.  A third attribute green roofs provide is fresh, clean air.  Trees, plants, and other shrubs help clean the air and lessen ozone levels that so often spiral out of control in urban cities.

The super cool pictures below show how urban architecture can be infused with green design.  Most of the pictures are taken from abroad, let’s incorporate them into US design!

 

Top of Chicago’s City Hall

Green Parking Garage in Namba Park, Japan

Vancover Convention Center

 

Vancover Convention Center (cont’d)

Running The Manhattan Bridge

After recently moving to the Lower East Side, I decided to explore the area and go for a nice, long, run.  Manhattan Bridge is an amazing architectural achievement  While the bridge may be the ugly step sister of the Brooklyn Bridge, the views along its running and bike paths are nothing short of amazing.

One building off the bridge gives even the 5 Pointz a run for its money:

The bridge also cuts over East Broadway, allowing for some sick photos of Chinatown.

And If those shots are cool enough, here is what you look at during you 2+ mile long bridge.