Selldorf Architects

The Sunset Park Materials Recycling Facility is a processing center for New York City’s recyclables which is being undertaken by Sims Metal Management and the City of New York. Selldorf designed the eleven acre master plan which devotes 36% of the site to greenspace and creates distinct circulation systems to safely separate visitors from the truck delivery route. The 125,000 sf Facility includes a Tipping Building, where recyclables arrive by barge; a Processing Building; a Bale Storage Building; and a Visitor Center and Administration Building, where students and the public can both view and learn more about recycling.

The Facility will make a major environmental contribution to New York City by allowing recyclables to be delivered by barge—a strategy which minimizes the distance collection trucks must travel, and eliminates 260,000 miles of annual vehicle travel from City roadways. Other sustainable strategies being implemented include the largest application of solar panels in New York City, a wind turbine which generates 25% of the Facility’s power, bioswales for stormwater management, and rainwater collection and reuse for irrigation. Many of the materials selected for the project are also made from recycled content.