Facilities Office of Sustainability

Facilities Sustainability Includes: Planning, Design and Construction, Maintenance and Operations and Campus as Living Lab Projects. Contact Tony Gelber for further information - argelber @pratt.edu.

 

Facilities Planning, Design and Construction, is dedicated to designing and renovating Pratt's Buildings and Grounds to become more sustainable and to meet Pratt's Committments to Sustainability and Climate Change.Currently two major projects are enhancing campus sustainability: 524 Myrtle Ave and the Reconstruction of Grand Ave.

524 Myrtle Ave will be a new LEED Gold, Admin and Academic Building. This building will be built to the new green LEED standard and have solar panels, a green roof, water efficient fixtures and landscaping and native plantings.

The reconstruction of Grand Ave, made possible by a gift from Alumna Hiroko Nakamoto, will enhance sustainability by reducing the heat island effect, increasing stormwater retention and increasing the absorbtion of greenhouse gasses with additional plantings.

Facilities Maintenance and Operations, is committed to managing and operating Pratt's buildings and grounds in a sustainable manner.

Five major initiatives are making the campus more sustainable:

	Solid waste management, "post recycling" has increased recycled percentages to between 40 and 50%.
	All waste is sorted off campus in Brooklyn, NY into paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and metal.
	Baled waste is stacked and stored in Brooklyn.
	Baled waste is loaded onto trucks and shipped to recyclers for reuse.
	Local jobs are created in Brooklyn, NY.
	Energy managemnet, electrical demand control has reduced peak summer loads by 1 megawatt or 1 million watts and a "dashboard" monitors energy use.
	Alternate transport vehicles such as bicycles and zero emission vehicles are reducing greenhouse gasses from our fleet,
	Carbon and energy planning, and the retention of an ESCO or energy service co is underway to identify means and methods to reduce greenhouse gasses by 30%.
	grounds and urban forest management practices have been modified to reduce inorganic fertilizers and pesticides while still maintaining healthy and visually appealing lawns and trees. Trees are pruned annually and treated by a professional tree company to combat threats such as anthracnose and the Asian Long Horn Beetle.

Campus as Living Lab projects, link academic teaching with actual Facilities Practices. Three current projects are in place: The Green Dorm Room Studio, The Urban Agriculture Studio, and Campus Events.

 

The Green Dorm Room Studio Project, has a design class working with  Facilites to review and design a greener dorm room in our major residence Willoughby Hall. Students are reviewing living practices and sustainability concepts. Several greener designs include more efficient lighting, less water use, and using existing furnitute to create new furniture. Students and faculty will be continuing design work during the Fall semester.

The Urban Agriculture Studio, has begun to look at the entire campus with an eye toward increasing sustainability. One of the results has been the recognition of our significant urban forest. The Urban forest comprises parts of our 25 acre camous and has over 15 species of trees with canopy coverage of 100% in some areas.  

Campus Events, including Fall Sustainability Day, Spring Green Week and The Summer NY State ReLeaf Conference, facilitate sharing ideas and best sustainable practices between faculty, staff, students and the local and and larger community.