Cooper Union Breaks Ground on ‘Green' Laboratory

The Cooper Union broke ground yesterday on New York City's first "green" academic laboratory building. Designed by Pritzker-Prize winning Architect Thom Mayne to meet Gold LEED standards, the nine-story, $150 million facility will house the Albert Nerken School of Engineering. Located on Third Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets, the building's environment-friendly features will include: a green roof which captures rainwater for nonpotable uses and a photovoltaic panel system that converts sunlight to electrical power. These innovations will make the structure approximately 40% more energy efficient than a standard building of its type. The facility is financed in part by the City, which has committed $3.5 million in capital funds for the project.