SOM designs 'new york climate exchange' as a net-zero living lab

stony brook university teams with som

Stony Brook University is partnering with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), a leading architecture firm, to create a new, net-zero campus, the New York Climate Exchange, on Governors Island in New York Harbor. This first-of-its-kind project will stand as an international center dedicated to developing and deploying dynamic solutions to the global climate crisis. It will also serve as a regional hub for the rapidly evolving green economy.

The Exchange will showcase resiliency and sustainability, featuring all-electric buildings, on-site solar power generation, and integration of existing buildings to achieve a net-zero energy campus. The campus will be designed to be climate-resilient, with new buildings raised to the Design Flood Elevation to protect against rising water levels.

‘This is a place for every New Yorker to learn and engage with the environment,’ said New York City Mayor Eric Adams, ‘because all of us are in this together.’

images © Miysis, courtesy SOM

net-zero and waste-free ambitions

Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill (SOM) designs its New York Climate Exchange campus to introduce a ‘living laboratory’ for research, education, and public enjoyment. Together with Stony Brook University, the Exchange the will host green job training and skills-building programs for local residents, and partner with local institutions on addressing the social and practical challenges created by climate change.

The architects hope that the project will become a model for sustainability and a self-sufficient development that goes ‘beyond zero’ toward net-positive sustainability. It will be one of the first sites in the U.S. to achieve True Zero Waste certification, meet 100% of its non-potable water demand with rainwater and treated wastewater, and run entirely on electricity generated on-site.

a ‘living laboratory’ on governor’s island

The New York Climate Exchange will feature 400,000 square feet of green-designed building space, including research labs, classroom space, exhibits, greenhouses, mitigation technologies, and housing facilities. All new and renovated buildings will meet Living Building Challenge standards, making them the first buildings in New York City to achieve this certification.

The Exchange will also include a Research and Technology Accelerator that will source and nurture ideas, projects, and new ventures dedicated to solving the climate crisis. The campus will offer workforce development opportunities for communities disproportionately affected by climate change, with over 6,000 green job trainees annually once fully operational.

‘Our design for this new campus embodies the stewardship necessary to solve the climate crisis by weaving sinuous mass timber pavilions through the rolling landscape of the park and reusing the historic building fabric of Governors Island,’ said SOM Design Partner Colin Koop. ‘Together, these spaces will cultivate advances in climate research and pilot new technologies that can be deployed across the city, and eventually the world.’

The New York Climate Exchange is a groundbreaking project that addresses the urgent need to tackle climate change. The campus will be a hub for innovation and education, promoting sustainable practices and preparing the next generation of climate leaders. It will also serve as a model for other institutions seeking to achieve net-zero energy and true sustainability.