{"id":253,"date":"2021-10-18T12:00:34","date_gmt":"2021-10-18T12:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/?p=253"},"modified":"2024-07-02T11:29:01","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T11:29:01","slug":"bird-safe-glass-design-at-181-mercer-saves-wildlife-and-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/2021\/10\/18\/bird-safe-glass-design-at-181-mercer-saves-wildlife-and-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Bird-safe glass design at 181 Mercer saves wildlife and energy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Custom-designed glass on 181 Mercer Street, NYU’s\u00a0under-construction multi-use building, will help prevent bird-window collisions \u2014 a serious threat<\/a> to native bird populations in the area \u2014 while also reducing energy usage.<\/span><\/p>\n

The design is intended to mitigate bird strikes, which frequently occur at buildings with clear or reflective glass. Research by conservation group NYC Audubon research <\/span>estimates<\/span><\/a> that up to 230,000 birds die in New York City every year due to collisions with glass. The American Bird Conservancy <\/span>estimates<\/span><\/a> that the annual avian death toll from collisions in the United States is close to one billion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s a huge number, especially when combined with all of the other things that are killing birds,\u201d said Kaitlyn Parkins, an NYC Audubon conservation biologist whose work focuses on reducing bird-window collisions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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181 Mercer St., located between Bleecker and West Houston Streets, is NYU’s new multi-use building. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

181 Mercer is the flagship development of <\/span>NYU\u2019s Core Plan<\/span><\/a>, an expansion project initially called NYU 2031. Construction on the building <\/span>commenced<\/span><\/a> in March 2017, and the building is <\/span>set to open<\/span><\/a> in fall 2022 following delays <\/span>caused<\/span><\/a> by the COVID-19 pandemic. Its exterior is almost entirely covered in fritted glass, a type of patterned glass created by applying ceramic frit to clear glass.<\/span><\/p>\n

[Read more: <\/span><\/i>Migrating birds imperiled by NYU buildings as spring approaches<\/span><\/i><\/a>]<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Christine Sheppard, director of the ABC\u2019s <\/span>glass collisions<\/span><\/a> program, said that neither humans nor birds can actually see glass. Humans, however, have learned the concept of \u201can invisible barrier that can also be a mirror,\u201d while birds seem take what they see literally \u2014 for them, reflections in glass are effectively indistinguishable from reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

This means that conventional glass on buildings of any size <\/span>can be<\/span><\/a> a death trap. Tall glass buildings, though, are typically responsible for the mass mortality events that draw the most attention. Last month, buildings in the World Trade Center complex <\/span>killed<\/span><\/a> hundreds of songbirds after a heavy migration night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something that many people are not aware enough of,\u201d said Deborah Laurel, principal at architecture firm Prendergast Laurel. \u201cBecause glass has become one of our preferred building materials, it\u2019s just very worrisome.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Laurel, who works with groups like the ABC and NYC Audubon to promote bird-safe architecture, said that fritted glass can help prevent collisions by making glass more visible to birds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not all frit effectively deters collisions, though \u2014 the design must have high enough contrast and narrow enough spacing that birds are able to see the markings, but don\u2019t try to fly between them.<\/span><\/p>\n

With this in mind, KieranTimberlake, the architecture firm responsible for the design of 181 Mercer\u2019s facade, increased the amount of frit and revised the glass pattern. Preventing bird collisions was a goal of the building\u2019s exterior design plan and a key component of its sustainability strategy, according to KieranTimberlake partner Richard Maimon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c181 Mercer\u2019s design is directly tied to environmental responsibility,\u201d Maimon wrote in a statement to WSN.<\/span><\/p>\n

The firm created the final design in direct consultation with experts at the ABC and the Bird-Safe Building Alliance, including Sheppard. She said that the firm is known for designing with birds in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey did it right,\u201d Sheppard said. \u201cKieranTimberlake is one of the architecture firms that has really paid attention to this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The glass frit demonstrates KieranTimberlake\u2019s commitment to sustainability on 181 Mercer, which Maimon said was designed in support of NYU\u2019s <\/span>Climate Action Plan<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re very interested in conservation, in ecological and energy advancement, and they have been from the beginning,\u201d Laurel said.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to reducing bird strikes, 181 Mercer\u2019s fritted glass contributes to the building\u2019s sustainability strategy by reducing energy consumption. Because the frit reduces solar heat gain \u2014 heat generated from sunlight entering the building \u2014 cooling systems don\u2019t need to work as hard, cutting energy use and costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Energy savings can also offset the initial costs of fritted glass, a <\/span>concern<\/span><\/a> frequently expressed by those reluctant to implement bird-safe design. However, Maimon noted that the frit added to 181 Mercer to prevent bird strikes did not add a significant cost. In general, Sheppard said, the cost of fritted glass is typically \u201crelatively negligible\u201d in comparison to overall construction expenses.<\/span><\/p>\n

From a distance, the glass seems reflective. But from a few blocks away, a subtle, distinctive pattern on the glass \u2014 Laurel described it as \u201ca fine sprinkling of snow\u201d \u2014 becomes visible. Though the \u201c<\/span>glass box<\/span><\/a>\u201d style of skyscraper design is often unsafe for birds, Sheppard said that buildings like 181 Mercer show that bird-safe design doesn\u2019t have to mean compromising on aesthetics.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf somebody wants to build a bird-friendly glass box, they can do it, because the things that make buildings bird-friendly are materials that people have been using on buildings forever,\u201d Sheppard said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The bird-safe design of 181 Mercer predates New York City <\/span>Local Law 15<\/span><\/a>, which in 2021 started requiring exterior glass on most new buildings to meet bird-safety standards established by ABC research. The law was a major step toward creating bird-safe cities, but many buildings built or approved for construction before 2021 still present hazards.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s definitely progress that has been made, but we\u2019ve got a whole lot of buildings,\u201d Laurel said. \u201cWe’ve still got a whole lot of work to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Buildings with large glass exteriors across from abundant vegetation or urban parks are among the most dangerous to birds in the city, according to a 2009 <\/span>study<\/span><\/a>. Many NYU buildings fall into this category \u2014 the Kimmel Center for University Life and Bobst Library reflect Washington Square Park, and Warren Weaver Hall mirrors trees along Mercer Street. Campus buildings are not monitored for window collisions, but crowdsourced data suggests that they occur frequently<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

For existing buildings that are unsafe for birds, experts recommend retrofitting bird-safe glass to mitigate the danger. Patterned adhesive films, usually in stripe or dot designs, are typically used to remediate existing windows. The main obstacles to implementation, Laurel said, are design preferences favoring large windows and insufficient public awareness of bird collisions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s going to take some time to get everybody on board to understand that we have to treat all of that glass that’s already installed, or at least the majority of it, to really begin to reduce the fatalities,\u201d Laurel said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Retrofits can be extremely effective \u2014 at the Jacob K. Javits Center on the West Side, for example, replacing conventional glass with fritted glass <\/span>reduced<\/span><\/a> collisions by over 90% at a previous hotspot of bird death. With a new green roof, renovations <\/span>transformed<\/span><\/a> the building from a lethal hazard to a potentially usable habitat for wildlife.<\/span><\/p>\n

Creating bird-safe buildings like the renovated Javits Center and 181 Mercer allows developers to surround buildings with habitats that benefit people as well as birds. Without the fritted glass, birds drawn to the landscaping on and around 181 Mercer would have been put in <\/span>danger<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s so important that you’re not creating an ecological trap,\u201d Parkins said.<\/span><\/p>\n

With KieranTimberlake\u2019s bird-friendly design, though, the building\u2019s green spaces are safe for both birds and humans to enjoy. Helping birds benefits people as well, Parkins said \u2014 people won\u2019t have to see dead birds at their school or workplace, and having more birds around has ecological and emotional benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that there’s inherent value in saving birds, but you can look at it from a biodiversity perspective,\u201d Parkins said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diversity of <\/span>birds<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>birdsong<\/span><\/a> has been <\/span>linked<\/span><\/a> to human wellbeing, and ecosystems with a greater diversity of species are more <\/span>resilient<\/span><\/a> to extreme weather and other natural disasters. As Sheppard put it, \u201cbirds are good for people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite these benefits, bird-safe design remains rare. Although it is beginning to catch on, scientists are still left without much field data. Groups like the ABC conduct <\/span>tests<\/span><\/a> of bird-safe glass designs, but Sheppard said that these evaluations are not designed to replicate real-world conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Light and reflectivity conditions change throughout the day, making it difficult to predict exactly how effective a glass design will be. When architects design buildings like 181 Mercer with birds in mind, they not only save birds but also help researchers learn which designs work best in practice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe more of these installations we see, the more excited we get, because that means our research is implemented on actual buildings,\u201d Laurel said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though before-and-after data on retrofitted windows is the most scientifically valuable, it\u2019s difficult to collect, meaning that data from new buildings is useful as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The fritted glass used on NYU\u2019s new 181 Mercer St. building can help prevent collisions by making glass more visible to birds. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bird-safe design is increasing in popularity, but its adoption is not yet widespread. Unlike most new buildings, 181 Mercer\u2019s design seeks to balance function, aesthetics and sustainability, making it an exemplar of bird-safe architecture, according to Parkins.<\/span><\/p>\n

“It sets a standard that other buildings, other architects can aspire to,” Parkins said.<\/p>\n

A version of this story appeared in the Oct. 18, 2021, e-print edition. Contact Alex Tey at\u00a0atey@nyunews.com.<\/em><\/p>\n

This story Bird-safe glass design at 181 Mercer saves wildlife and energy<\/a> appeared first on Washington Square News<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Custom-designed glass on 181 Mercer Street, NYU’s\u00a0under-construction multi-use building, will help prevent bird-window collisions \u2014 a serious threat to native bird populations in the area \u2014 while also reducing energy<\/p>\n

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