Hearst director discusses tower's impact on green design practices.

Brian Schwagerl, director of real estate and facilities planning for the Hearst Corp., gave members of the CoreNet Global Long Island chapter an inside look at the company's efforts to build New York City's first gold-designated, certified green commercial building.

Speaking at a CoreNet Global Long Island Chapter breakfast meeting on Oct. 20 at the Milleridge Inn in Jericho, N.Y., Schwagerl said the company sought LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certification from the U.S. Green Building Council to help create a building that employees will want to work in. The USGBC is a non-profit association of designers, builders and consultants pressing for environmentally thoughtful development.

"This building will have the highest quality of life of any building in Manhattan," Schwagerl told the CoreNet Global Long Island members.

"It's not about solar panels ... It's about making good choices."

The 856,000 s/f tower, scheduled for completion in the fall of 2006, will serve as the media giant's world headquarters and house 25,000 employees now scattered in various midtown buildings.

According to Schwagerl, other developers will likely have to follow Hearst's environmental lead.

"At the least, every other project in Manhattan has to consider this," he said. "City and state governments are going to say, "You do this.'"

About 85% of the materials from the demolition of the interior of Hearst's original building, designed in 1927 by architect Joseph Urban, have been recycled. In addition, structural steel for the 46-story steel and glass tower contains about 90% recycled materials made in the United States. The building's triangular steelwork, or diagrid design, saved 200 tons of steel and opened up more space. Rain water collected from the building's roof will be stored in basement tanks and reused for cooling tower and to irrigate plantings inside and outside the main lobby. In addition, when completed, the building will use 30% less water than a comparable tower and 35% less energy.

The building, located at 300 W. 57th St., was designed by Lord Norman Foster of Foster & Partners, whose work also includes the renovation of the British Museum and the reconstruction of the Reichstag in Berlin.

Foster was chosen from a list of international architects provided to the firm by city officials in consultation with its construction advisor, Tishman Speyer.

The project, Schwagerl noted, could not move forward without a wide range of approvals and economic incentives from the city and state, including subway improvement bonuses and energy-saving grants. The original 40,000 s/f Hearst headquarters, upon which the new tower is being constructed, had to be preserved because it was landmarked and there were numerous agencies to deal with.

"There was a huge amount of government bureaucracy to go through. Hearst took the time to get to know each of the [government] individuals in the project and got them involved," Schwagerl said.

Improvements that Hearst undertook for the Columbus Circle subway station resulted in six extra floors for the building.