* Comcast Center`s proximity to five major mass transit options reducesautomobile use, therefore reducing CO2 emissions from commuters by 50%. Forthose who must drive, charging stations are available for electric vehicles.Inside the building, glass, aluminum cans, newsprint, plastics, paper andcardboard are all recycled.Robert A.M Stern Architects of New York led the design team. Looking back onthe development of Comcast Center, Robert A.M. Stern, the firm's founder andsenior partner, said, "Our clients encouraged us to go as far as possible in ourshared search for an environmentally responsible design. LEED Gold certificationaffirms that working together, we have risen to the challenge." Kendall Heaton Associates of Houston, Texas, served as architect-of-record forthe building.
Atelier Ten of London and New York spearheaded the environmentaldesign efforts. Changing the Skyline and the StreetscapeIn its first full year of operation, Comcast Center has had a major impact onthe City of Philadelphia, both as an icon and as a destination. Its welcome ispalpable whether a visitor approaches from the underground concourse at SuburbanStation or from the street level. "Mayor Nutter has challenged Philadelphia to become the greenest city in Americaand Comcast Center functions as a visible cornerstone to that commitment in theminds of our citizens and visitors," said Mark Alan Hughes, director ofsustainability for the City of Philadelphia. "It is wonderful to have such aremarkable rallying point for both the tenets and the tenants of environmentalresponsibility." Passing through the new Market at Comcast Center, commuters can sample some ofthe best food and retail the city has to offer before ascending the sweepingstaircase into the Winter Garden. The Market features some of the best-knownicons of Philadelphia and beyond, such as the delicious tastes of Saxby`sCoffee, DiBruno Bros., Jake & Max`s Delicatessen, LaScala`s Italian AmericanHome-Style To Go, Mexican Post, Frank`s Old Philly-Style Sandwiches, Sook Hee`sProduce, Termini Bros, Tokyo Sushi & Catering and Under the "C" (seafood.) The retail portion of the concourse includes higher-end services and businessesincluding Sony Style Comcast Labs, L`UOMO (custom Italian clothier), Details,High Speed Cleaners, and Govberg Jewelers. Walking onto the property at the street level, visitors are welcomed by ahalf-acre landscaped public park that features artistic fountains by Wet Designand al fresco dining nearby.
Native landscaping by the Olin Group creates a coolurban space during hot summer months. Passing through energy-saving revolving doors brings them to the Winter Gardenlobby featuring three stories of glass on three sides. There, the visitorencounters a father and son gazing up at the glass canopy; a closer inspectionshows them to be elements of the sculpture Humanity in Motion by world-renownedartist and sculptor Jonathan Borofsky. They are looking at nearly a dozensculptures of people walking their own paths - across beams suspended threestories high.
Attention is then captured by "The Comcast Experience," a ground-breakinghi-definition video wall standing 83.3` wide by 25.4` high, showcasing aone-of-a kind intersection of media, technology and public art that has become arequired stop for commuters and tourists alike. Utilizing a technique called"3-Camera Panorama," which involves placing three high-definition camerasside-by-side and filming everything from spectacular nature footage to urbanlandscapes, a seamless, wide-screen vista is created. This realistic imageryoffers 10 million pixels of clarity - five times the resolution of hi-definitionTV- supplemented with computer-generated images of amazingly realistic quality,producing a vivid virtual world. The project features another striking addition, just north of Comcast Center: anew entrance lobby addition to historic Arch Street Presbyterian Church, whichopened last summer.
Liberty and LEED/Sustainable DevelopmentLiberty has been recognized for its commitment to sustainable design and itspositive impact on its tenants` employees, the environment and its communities.Most recently, Liberty was named the National Association of Industrial andOffice Properties (NAIOP) 2008 Developer of the Year. This award is presentedannually to one member-developer company that best exemplifies leadership andinnovation in the commercial real estate industry. Liberty is also the proudrecipient of the CoreNet Global 2008 Sustainability Leadership Award for Design& Development and the 2007 NAIOP Green Development Award The company was alsohonored with the U.S. Green Building Council`s 2006 LEED Corporate LeadershipAward, recognizing outstanding leaders in green building that demonstrateexceptional vision, leadership, and commitment to the evolution of greenbuilding design and construction. Liberty has invested more than $1 billion insustainable developments.