Unleashing New York’s regenerative revolution:
The BIG U
At Holcim we are driving a regenerative revolution with our sustainable building solutions, to build cities that are circular, resilient, low-carbon, energy-efficient and smart, as well as nature-friendly. The BIG U, which is transforming parts of Southern Manhattan in New York City, is one great example of this approach.
In 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the U.S. eastern seaboard, with the storm surge devastating thousands of buildings, many of which were in Southern Manhattan. This included the financial district, infrastructure and the homes of 95,000 low-income, elderly and disabled city residents.
To redevelop the area and protect it from future flooding and storms, BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), One Architecture and the City of New York, proposed a 16 kilometer long protective ribbon – the BIG U, and the project is now being realized using Holcim’s sustainable building solutions.
The BIG U is an effort to rebuild what was destroyed during the storm, but also to build something that is resilient and would show a smarter way of building. To make the infrastructure as durable as possible, we built the flood walls out of concrete and we've really given an aesthetic texture to them.
Climate resilience and social infrastructure
The BIG U is special, and BIG and the other project partners have gone much further than the “hard engineering” approach that is usually taken with large-scale storm protection projects. Instead, the BIG U is conceived in a socially thoughtful way, as 10 distinct flood protection zones, each with its own opportunities for integrated social and community planning.
Rooted in the concept of “social infrastructure”, one of the key principles of the USD 1.5 billion project was that the design should be community driven. Therefore, the project team asked Manhattan residents what they lacked most, and green space was the number one answer.
As a result, the raised berms, floodwall and movable floodgates that make up the BIG U not only serve as flood protection zones, but also benefit the community through the creation of green landscaped areas and cultural venues, while greatly improving waterfront access.
BIG U, New York, USA
BIG U, New York, USA
BIG U, New York, USA
A stronger connection with nature
New parks, bioswales, rain gardens and street plantings will absorb and clean storm water, cool the city, reduce air pollution, buffer noise and promote biodiversity. Additionally, they will enhance people’s quality of life, and strengthen their connection with the natural world.
To date, 40,000 tons of Holcim cement and 5,000 tons of slag have been used in the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) section of the BIG U. Cement was used in the walls to provide high structural strength – protecting the city from the surrounding Hudson River and East River tidal estuary – while cement and slag is being used to create parks and pathways.
Regenerating the built environment
The Big U is a great example of how we can regenerate the built environment. It is people-centric, rooted in place and integrated with nature. It is also designed to develop over time, both in terms of its public spaces and design – to withstand rising water levels until 2100.
While the project is still being built, the BIG U has already created more and better green spaces for Manhattan residents and visitors to enjoy, and improved their health and wellbeing. It will improve access to housing, jobs and education, and boost New York’s growth potential.
As a lighthouse for modern urban resilience and regeneration, the BIG U won a Silver award from the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction in 2015, and featured in the Systemiq’s recent report on “Unleashing a Regenerative Revolution in the Built Environment” .
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