The Zone Green text amendment was approved on April 30, 2012. Back again after the popular Zone Green event in January, Howard Slatkin, Director of Sustainability, NYC Department of City Planning, will present the new laws in detail and discuss their implications with Nicholas Holt, Director at SOM and Urban Green Council Board Member.
Before Zone Green, developers were confronted with a tradeoff between thicker, energy-efficient walls and usable interior space, because floor area was always measured to the outer edge of the exterior wall. Now, new buildings that exceed the requirements of the New York City Energy Conservation Code can deduct a portion of the thickness of exterior walls from floor area, leveling the playing field for highly energy-efficient construction.
The zoning changes promote not only new green buildings, but also retrofits of existing buildings. Existing buildings can add up to eight inches of wall thickness for the purposes of external insulation, without violating limitations on floor area or requirements for yards or other open areas. Features like solar panels, recreational decks, and sun control devices can be added to new or existing buildings.
Zone Green: A Conversation with Howard Slatkin & Nicholas Holt
June 12, 2012
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Syska Hennessy
1515 Broadway
New York, New York 10036