Seamlessly integrating critical and resilient infrastructure while preserving iconic views, bountiful flora, and historic features
The Battery in Lower Manhattan is an iconic part of New York City (NYC). With millions of visitors annually, it’s home to extensive gardens, artwork, and the departure point for the Statue of Liberty, among other cultural landmarks.
Given its location on the waterfront, The Battery is susceptible to climate change risks including storm surge and sea level rise. To help preserve and protect this significant site, the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) engaged our team to provide adaptive design to support flexibility and resilience against future climate uncertainty.
Our team established sustainability goals and used the Envision framework to guide our design. We explored opportunities across key themes such as embodied carbon reduction, managing quantity and quality of stormwater, and reducing waste sent to landfills. Notable strategies included reusing site materials, sourcing local and low-carbon materials, and investigating transportation alternatives that reduce emissions and pollutants. This helped achieve a 54 percent net embodied carbon reduction for the project. Additionally, stakeholder engagement played a crucial role and enriched the design, helping preserve existing artwork, architecture, park features, and coveted harbor views.
By preparing for future climate change, this project helps community resilience and supports social, environmental, and economic stability for years to come. From multi-level slips accommodating sea level variations through 2100 to salt-tolerant plantings combating rising urban heat, resiliency is in the details.
At a Glance
- Offices
- Client
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- NYCEDC
- Partners
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- NYC Parks
- Hunter Roberts Construction Group
- Award
- Envision™-verified Platinum
- News
- Project receives Envision Platinum Award from The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure
Greg Sprich, Principal, Civil Engineer
It’s our goal to provide excellent customer service. Our clients can depend on us to listen, communicate, and ultimately deliver a quality product.
Amy Seek, Principal
As public realm designers, we have a special role in nurturing the social life of a city.
Brad Moore, Associate, Sustainable Infrastructure Team Lead
Integrating sustainability principles into the engineering design process can have a lasting positive impact on our communities.
Aaditya Patel, Sustainability Consultant
The unprecedented impacts of climate change are here to stay-we must urgently act to find solutions that have a planet positive impact.
Dana Bergman, Senior Associate, Electrical Engineering Manager
There is no greater joy than seeing your designs come to life and watching a community benefit from them.
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