Columbia University's Manhattanville Campus
The New York Building Foundation and Columbia University hosted a briefing and tour of Columbia’s Manhattanville campus development to highlight the project’s innovative construction site management practices.
Frank Sciame and Philip Pitruzzello discuss Columbia's Manhattanville project
The Manhattanville Mixed Use Academic Development project is a charter participant in the Foundation’s Construction for a Livable City (CLC) program, which encourages the building industry to voluntarily adopt a checklist of worksite management practices to reduce the impact of construction on the surrounding neighborhood.
At the tour, building industry professionals received an overview of the CLC program and innovations Columbia is using to improve the site’s appearance, reduce air, noise and other environmental impacts, and ensure constant communication with the surrounding community about construction progress and critical activity.
During the tour, Philip Pitruzzello, Columbia’s Vice President in charge of Manhattanville development, described a variety of measures including:
- Retrofitting diesel engines with diesel particulate filters to reduce emissions from heavy construction equipment.
- A vehicle wheel washing station to eliminate dust trailing from vehicles leaving the site and a street sweeper circulating the perimeter streets.
- Noise blankets and control panels on the perimeter construction fencing to reduce noise.
- Runoff and sediment control features including use of synthetic, low-profile “Geo Hay” to replace actual hay bales placed near street catch basins.
- A comprehensive Integrated Pest Management practice for rodent control using least toxic means.
- Public information displays surrounding the construction site forecasting construction schedule and offering a description of the project.
- Decorative banners to cover portions of the construction shed, displaying the CLC logo.
Angled fencing and sealed cracks reduce noise.
Frank J. Sciame, Chair of the Construction for a Livable City Task Force, applauded Columbia’s efforts and urged attendees to enroll in CLC as an important tool to improve the building industry’s image with the public: “Columbia has not only earned goodwill in the community by being a good neighbor, it has changed public perception about the project itself, which will serve Columbia for years to come. If we can repeat this effort across the City, it can have a profound impact on public support for building the New York City of the future.”
Click here to view more pictures of the tour and highlights of Columbia University's Manhattanville project.
For more information on the Construction for a Livable City program, contact Andrew Hollweck at the New York Building Foundation, 212-481-9230.
