By Scott Brinton
The company recently celebrated its grand opening with a two-day open house.
RCI's longtime headquarters in Lawrence were destroyed by fire in June 2004. Stuart and Cliff Richner, the company's owners, looked for ways to reduce energy consumption - and the greenhouse gases that cause global warming - when they sat down with architects and engineers to draw up plans for the new building.
"Throughout the planning process, we were always determined to use whatever materials and resources were out there to make the building as energy-efficient as possible," said Stuart Richner. "We took ideas from our architects, engineers and the utilities. We took the best ideas and combined them into a functional, efficient facility."
John O'Connell, the Heralds' executive editor, said, "It's another morale booster for us to be working in a 'green' building, because it's good for the staff to know the publishers are environmentally conscious. It's always a positive to feel we're part of doing something constructive, even in the physical place where we work."
Rhonda Glickman, RCI's vice president of sales, said, "To be working in this type of environment is very, very productive. It's a pleasure to work in a state-of-the-art building."
Among the structure's innovative design elements are:
n Heavy-duty roofing insulation to reduce heat loss.
n Insulated, tinted, low-emittance - or low-E - glass for all windows to reduce solar heat in the building, and the need for air-conditioning.
n Windows throughout the building to increase ambient light, and lower the need for electric lighting. Steven Cannella, RCI's architect and a partner in Gary D. Cannella Associates Architects and Planners in Bohemia, said, "You could probably work in there without the lights on at all" during the day.
n High-efficiency fluorescent lighting with sensors that dim lights in low-traffic areas. The lighting system was designed with multiple circuits that allow half of the fixtures to be shut down.
n Multiple heating and air-conditioning zones, each with its own electronic thermostat. All air-conditioning units are Energy Star rated. The company is also purchasing a computerized energy-management system that will monitor heat and humidity levels in each room to precisely target air-conditioning use.
n Large fans in the pressroom to cut down on the need for heating and air-conditioning.
n Occupancy sensors in enclosed offices, restrooms and the cafeteria. The sensors shut lights off automatically when no one is in the room.
n Low-flow toilets in restrooms to reduce water use.
n Two fuel cells to run the company's server room and telephone systems. The Long Island Power Authority provided the cells as part of an experimental program to develop alternative energy sources. The cells convert fossil fuels such as natural gas to energy using an electrochemical process rather than combustion. Because fuel is not burned, the cell emits few, if any, greenhouse gases. Hot water, the cells' only real byproduct, is kept in a holding tank and warms water for the restroom sinks.
"We feel it's important to participate in experimental energy projects," said Stuart Richner. "You need to take risks to achieve energy efficiency and protect the planet."
Construction of RCI's headquarters was done in such a way as to minimize environmental impact. The building was constructed on the site of an abandoned warehouse. Many of the materials from the old building went into the new headquarters. Steel I-beams, for example, were reused rather than discarded. And the brick façade was sandblasted rather than replaced with a new one.
Companies are not mandated to reuse materials, Cannella said. But, he noted, "It's the right thing to do. It was a little more difficult to execute the work, but the cost savings in the material balanced that out."
Though it is more expensive, the company used real redbrick on the façade, because it has a longer life than commonly used stucco façades with foam backing. Going with real brick uses fewer raw materials, Cannella said.
Also, the Heralds' pressroom is equipped with state-of-the-art recycling equipment that allows the company to recycle both printed and unprinted waste newsprint. Each is stored separately before being sent for recycling.
Finally, RCI is participating in a voluntary energy-curtailment program. When called on to do so, especially during the hottest days of summer, RCI shuts down lighting and air-conditioning units to lower electric consumption and help avoid brownouts.
The best part about RCI's new headquarters, Cannella said, "is that it's a positive reuse of an existing structure, which was basically an eyesore. Stuart and Cliff Richner had the vision to reuse this building. It was a fun project to work on. It's an asset to the community. It was challenging to reuse it. The net result had a real positive impact."
What's next? Stuart Richner said he hopes to one day have windmills atop his headquarters, generating electricity pollution-free.
Comments about this story?SBrinton-@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.
