The Queens Botanical Garden is getting even greener – it’s opening a new building expected to be the most environmentally friendly in New York City.
Outfitted with a solar-power rooftop, a rainwater-collecting canopy and composting toilets, the Botanical Garden’s 15,830-square-foot Visitor and Administration Building in Flushing was designed to limit energy consumption and impact on the sewer system.
“We’re showcasing a number of new environmental technologies,” said Susan Lacerte, executive director of the Queens Botanical Garden.
The new structure will consume 30 percent less water than comparably sized buildings, and boasts three “environmentally active” rooftops.
The first is a canopy over the plaza area in front of the building that collects rainwater, which is fed into all of the fountains in the Botanical Garden. Another rooftop is covered by a garden; the third has solar panels.