On September 15 at 3:30 p.m., the
Green Building Alliance presents a public tour of
WYEP’s new radio studio located at 67 Bedford Square.
Designed for maximum performance, the innovative restoration project includes mechanical systems that utilize recycled and renewable materials.
“We all came to the realization, our board and staff, that building green was not a debate, it was what we had to do. The decision was unanimous and fit our mission,” says WYEP’s general manager Lee Ferraro.
WYEP worked with
dggp Architects and
Sota Construction Services to create the green studios. Completed in 2006, the 19,084 square-foot site received a LEED-NC Silver rating.
“We also wanted to do this for Pittsburgh, not just for us. We recognized that it was good for the city,” says Ferraro.
The studio features fiber-optic and high-speed cable, enclosed printers, studio furniture constructed from wheat board and recycled doors and windows. Natural light fills ninety percent of the building.
“Feedback has been great. Whenever I give a tour, particularly with younger people, they are very excited to learn that blue jeans and milk jugs were recycled to create the ceilings and floors,” adds Ferraro.
Ferraro, who says that the building will pay for itself over time, has surprised some in the business community when talking about the facility’s significant reduction in energy costs.
“In conventional spaces you walk into a cubicle. Here you feel connected to the world around you,” says Ferraro, who loves opening windows at work. “When you look at health issues, it is full of common sense. These are things you want in your home.”
Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Lee Ferraro, WYEP