In the fifth installment of Dattner Architects’ Sustainability in Architecture series, “Sustainability in Architecture: Education,” we sat down with Daniel Heuberger, Partner; John Woelfling, Partner; Mia Lee, Associate Principal; and Shefali Sanghvi, Director of Sustainability, Associate Principal, to discuss our past, present, and future sustainable design work in New York City schools.
Reflecting on past work, the concurrent development of PS 276 Battery Park City School and the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy Maintenance Facility created a unique opportunity for Dattner Architects to help the NYCSCA and the Battery Park City Authority align their design guidelines with national sustainability standards. PS 276 marked a significant milestone as the first NYCSCA project to incorporate the Green Schools Guide, a LEED-equivalent framework created by Dattner Architects specifically for NYC schools, which has since been adopted as an SCA standard.
Shefa School, an independent day school for students with language-based learning disabilities, exemplifies Dattner Architects’ approach to adaptive reuse. Sustainability was woven into every step of this project, from material selection to the building’s form, demonstrating how existing structures can be thoughtfully transformed into vibrant community spaces.
Looking ahead, Dattner Architects is working to bring Passive House standards to New York City schools, building on the same approach that helped translate LEED principles into the NYCSCA Green Schools Guide. The ongoing Science Park and Research Campus Kips Bay (SPARC) project reflects this vision with a focus on circularity, biogenic materials, and deep energy reduction.
