In its Best of What's New 2005 issue, Popular Science gave a Grand Award for Engineering to a magnificent eco-friendly skyscraper under construction at One Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan. Early in 2008, Cook + Fox Architects will finish building a 54-story tower of crystalline glass that will not only serve as the iconic corporate headquarters of Bank of America, but also incorporate an unprecedented number of planet-positive technologies, from super-insulated windows to “waterless” toilets that use captured rainwater to recycled building materials.

Seventy percent of the building's electricity will come from a natural gas plant located within the structure itself. The thermal energy from this generator will be captured to help power the climate control system; the air-conditioning system will use surplus power in off-peak hours to produce ice to assist with cooling. A computerized “Smart System” will automatically power down elevators when not in use, learning the patterns of the building's inhabitants. Smart laser-controls will automatically turn lights on and off when they detect the presence or absence of visitors. The smart controls in the building will even anticipate weather changes to gradually heat or cool the building and avoid wasteful bursts in electricity demand. The architects expect to earn a Platinum LEED rating, the best possible from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Photo credit: www.cookplusfox.com