Hearst Tower

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The Hearst Tower was the first office tower in North America to use a diagonal grid ("diagrid") construction rather than vertical steel beams. This configuration reduced the total steel required by around 20%, contributing to the building's sustainability credentials. Other design features focus on low energy requirements and water conservation in use. About 85% of the original 6-storey structure was re-used or recycled.  One of the distinctive features of the building is the “Ice Fall”, a sky-lit atrium with escalators set amidst a stepped wall with water flowing downward as the people rise.  That volume of space would consume a lot of energy with conventional air-conditioning. Because of the tubes, which can carry heated or chilled fluid depending on the season, the floor becomes a radiant surface either emitting heat or absorbing it, without the need for conventional air-conditioning units and ductwork.  In the upper floors of the building, high efficiency air-conditioning equipment is used, with sensors and variable speed blowers designed to adjust the volumes of air according to actual need, rather than at a preset level. The Client also selected an innovative type of glass that wraps around the exterior of the building. The glass has a special "low-E" coating that allows for internal spaces to be flooded with natural light while keeping out the invisible solar radiation that causes heat.