City Tech Students Visit Brooklyn’s ‘Green’ Tower

February 29, 2012 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

City_Tech_Toren_tour3.jpg

Share this:

Toren’s Cogeneration Plan, Filtration System, Rooftop Pavers on Agenda

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — BFC Partners, developers of the new residential tower, Toren, at Flatbush Avenue Extension and Myrtle Avenue, and Debra Salomon, certified LEED and green building professor at the NYC College of Technology (City Tech) in its Division of Continuing Education, designed a tour of the building for students learning about green construction and design.

The tour, which took place on Monday, gave the students an insider’s view of Toren’s cogeneration plant — said to be the only one in a NYC residential building — which fuels electrical, heating and cooling needs while lowering the burden on utility companies.

Other environmentally friendly features at Toren include: Steve Vaughn, far right, Torenâ€™s resident manager, talks to City Tech students about the â€˜greenâ€™ elements of the residential tower.

• Occupancy sensors, which optimize lighting usage based on occupancy in all stairwells and common areas;

• Reflective roofing pavers that reduce solar heat gain, lowering the need for air conditioning;

• Low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints that have fewer toxins and are safer for residents; and

• A filtration system that pumps fresh air into each unit.

Salomon teaches a program called “Green Building and Maintenance,” which assures that students learn the most current and applicable skills of the trade. Salomon and City Tech realized several years ago that there would be a greater need for “green experts” in building maintenance.

BFC Partners also realized that “green” features are a must on many buyers’ lists of requirements when apartment hunting in the city. Thus, Toren is currently on track for LEED gold certification, a company spokesperson said.