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March 14, 2017
Two DDC Projects Honored With 2017 Design Awards from the American Institute of Architects New York
Contact:
Dan Leibel
718-391-1251
Long Island City, NY – Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora of the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced today that two projects managed by the DDC were selected this month to receive 2017 Design Awards from the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIANY).
Public Safety Answering Center II in the Bronx and the Long Island City Sculpture Center in Queens and were recognized by AIANY for “outstanding architectural design.” According to the organization, the purpose of the awards program is to honor the architects, clients, and consultants who work together to achieve design excellence.
“The projects recognized by AIANY exemplify the DDC Guiding Principles of equity, sustainability, resiliency, and healthy living that guide all our work for the people of New York City,” said DDC Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora. “We thank Mayor de Blasio, our elected officials, and client agencies for their support, and we honor the design partners who help us successfully deliver world class architecture to every community in the City.”
The $691 million, 500,000-square-foot Public Safety Answering Center II, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, is a highly secure facility designed to be a second emergency communications 911 call intake and dispatch center for the City, functioning as a parallel operation to the existing PSAC I in downtown Brooklyn and augmenting and providing redundancy to the current emergency 911 response service. DDC managed construction of the building and DoITT coordinated the center’s massive information technology systems, which integrate over a dozen public safety systems, in constant collaboration with FDNY and NYPD.
The facility provides redundancy to current 911 services, strengthening the City’s ability to maintain communication in the event of a natural disaster or large-scale emergency. When fully staffed it can accommodate 400 911 operators and 150 administrative personnel. Over 1,600 miles of copper and fiber cables were installed to handle data.
The building is also designed to LEED Gold standards. Sustainable features include drought-resistant landscaping, which uses less potable water for the site irrigation; low-flow fixtures and stormwater collection for toilet use, which conserves potable water throughout the building; and low-emitting materials which help maintain healthy interior air quality. An “Active Modular Phytoremediation System” (AMPS) green feature wall in the building lobby uses plant material to filter and clean the air, and provide a more relaxing environment for the staff.
The Long Island City Sculpture Center was designed by Andrew Berman Architect for the DDC and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA). The project, completed in Fall 2014, renovated and expanded the existing museum, a former trolley repair shop, and included the conversion of the basement level into additional museum gallery and assembly space. The project also entailed the construction of a new building, which primarily functions as the museum’s ticketing and reception area.
The completed work added 6,500-square-feet of flexible interior exhibition space that accommodates diverse works of art; a new 2,000-square-foot, one-story entrance lobby; an elevator and stairway to the lower level galleries; a 1,500-square-foot enclosed courtyard for outdoor exhibitions and events; upgrades to electrical and mechanical systems; and office and storage space improvements. The renovated facility also brought the building into compliance with all current building codes including the Americans with Disabilities Act.
About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor de Blasio’s lenses of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, new or upgraded roadways, sewers, water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $15 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative, and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to city projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.