The Clark Art Institute © Susan Fisher Plotner/Altieri

Sustainability

Energy efficiency has been a distinction of Altieri’s work since the early 1960s, before sustainability was popular yet the relatively high energy consumption of HVAC systems was impossible to ignore. This reality drove us to develop strategies for energy efficiency which we continue to use today. Our design concepts provide first cost economy, consider energy costs, and are sensitive to maintenance and life cycle cost. Significantly, The Getty Center received LEED certification more than a decade after construction, based on Altieri’s designs from a period predating the introduction and implementation of the LEED process.  “Green Design” is a consistent standard of our firm and Altieri is proud to be a member of ASHRAE, Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF), International Living Future Institute (ILFI), Passive House Alliance United States (PHIUS), and U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). 

The MEP 2040 Challenge:
“All systems engineers shall advocate for and achieve net zero carbon in their projects: operational carbon by 2030 and embodied carbon by 2040.” (https://www.mep2040.org)

In 2021, the MEP 2040 Challenge was issued by the Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF). Their mission is to significantly reduce embodied carbon emissions associated with MEP systems. The commitment requires firms to create a company plan to reduce operational and embodied carbon across MEP systems, request low-GWP refrigerant availability to reduce GHG emissions from refrigerants, request Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) in project specifications, and attend quarterly MEP 2040 discussions. With the increasing need to cut emissions, finding opportunities to reduce the impacts of MEP systems is essential.

As an industry leader, Altieri is proud to join other MEP signatories in an effort to set the pace for a sustainable future by meeting the MEP 2040 challenge.

Noteworthy Projects:

  • First major art and education institution in the country to achieve LEED Platinum – Barnes Foundation
  • First LEED-certified commercial gallery in the country – David Zwirner Gallery
  • First existing building in the U.S. to achieve LEED certification – The Getty Center
  • First U.S. museum and first building of any kind in Connecticut to be LEED-certified – The Mark Twain House & Museum
  • First higher education visual arts building to be LEED-certified – Sarah Lawrence College, Heimbold Visual Arts Center
  • A current project, The Obama Presidential Center, is pursuing LEED Platinum, SITES Silver, and International Living Future Institute (ILFI) Zero Energy certifications for all buildings and facilities that are part of the Center.

LEED Platinum

Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, PA
Colby College, Grossman Hall, Waterville, ME
Cornell University Law School, Academic Center and Commons, Ithaca, NY
Glenstone Arrival Hall, Potomac, MD

LEED Gold

Abraham Joshua Heschel School, New York, NY
Brown University, Applied Mathematics Building, Providence, RI
Brown University, Perry & Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, Providence, RI
The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA
Columbia University, Knox Hall, New York, NY
Common Ground High School, Urban Farm, and Environmental Education Center, New Haven, CT
Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, New York, NY
Connecticut Science Center, Hartford, CT
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY
David Zwirner Gallery, New York, NY
Glenstone Museum, Potomac, MD
Glenstone Café, Potomac, MD
Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia, PA
New England Conservatory, Student Life and Performance Center, Boston, MA 
Phillips Exeter Academy, The Goel Center for Theater and Dance, Exeter, NH
Roosevelt Elementary School, Bridgeport, CT
Scenic Hudson’s River Center, Beacon, NY
The Spence School, New York, NY
University of Massachusetts Amherst, South College, Amherst, MA
Wellesley College, Pendleton West, Wellesley, MA
Williams College, Hollander and Shapiro Halls, Williamstown, MA
Williams College Stetson Hall | Sawyer Library, Williamstown, MA
Yale University, Paul Rudolph Hall, New Haven, CT

LEED Silver

Corning Museum of Glass Contemporary Art + Design Wing, Corning, NY
Eastern Connecticut State University, Fine Arts Instructional Center, Willimantic, CT
The Flea Theater, New York, NY
LancasterHistory.org, Lancaster, PA
Monmouth Battlefield State Park Visitor Center, Manalapan Township, NJ
Museum of the City of New York, Phase 2, New York, NY
Museum of the City of New York, Phase 3, New York, NY
Penn Museum, Phase 1, Philadelphia, PA
Rhode Island School of Design, Chace Center, Providence, RI
Sangha House, Zen Mountain Monastery, Mt. Tremper, NY
Shelburne Museum, Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education, Shelburne, VT
Springfield Technical Community College, Ira H. Rubenzahl Student Learning Commons, Springfield, MA
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, PA

LEED Certified

Colby College, Diamond Building, Waterville, ME
Fort Ticonderoga, Mars Education Center, Ticonderoga, NY
The Getty Center, Los Angeles, CA
MCC Theater, New York, NY
The Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford, CT
Montclair State University, Chapin Hall-Jed Leshowitz Recital Hall, Montclair, NJ
The Pennsylvania State University, Student Enrichment Center, University Park, PA
Sarah Lawrence College, Heimbold Visual Arts Center, Bronxville, NY