The Architectural League of New York’s 133rd Annual Meeting will feature tours of Sims Municipal Recycling, Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility.

According to the Architectural League:

“Designed by Selldorf Architects, the recently opened Sims Municipal Recycling, Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility is a processing center for New York’s curbside metal, glass, and plastic recyclables.  Located on an 11-acre waterfront pier, the structure is for and about recycling and reuse.

Designed to give character to what otherwise might be read as bland big box construction, the pre-engineered structure was articulated by inverting structural elements to appear on the exterior, emphasizing the visual impact of the steel girders and lateral bracing. The 140,000 sf facility includes discrete areas for receiving recyclables by truck and barge, sorting and processing, storage, and a public education center with display and learning spaces linked to the facility by a connecting bridge to a viewing platform. Recycled materials are incorporated throughout the complex, from structural steel to site fill made from a composite of glass, asphalt, and rock reclaimed from the Second Avenue subway excavation. Other sustainable measures include one of the largest applications of photovoltaics in New York City, bioswales for stormwater management, and a soon to be installed wind turbine, which is projected to generate 15% of the facility’s power.

Visit Urban Omnibus for an interview with Outerbridge at the new facility where he discusses Sims’ work to expand recycling in the city through new infrastructure and public education, the markets for post-processed recycled material, the potential of large-scale composting, and the challenges and future of reducing waste in New York City.”

The Annual Meeting is free and open only to League members, who may bring up to one non-member guest. To become a member and attend this event, join here.