Local Business Goes Green

Complexions Spa is an eco-friendly beauty and wellness center located on Wolf Road in Albany, NY.  The owner Denise DuBois decided to go green in order to provide her customers with an environment that supported every component of beauty and wellness.  This building features wallpaper and paint with low VOC levels, recycled tires lining the entranceway floor, and cork flooring; which is used in other rooms.  Working toward LEED Gold Level Certification, DuBois has also installed efficient front loading washing machines, and has the air throughout Complexions Spa regulated through several different zones.  “Every

detail, the building supplies, what we could, we did use recyclable, renewable and sustainable materials” DuBois said.  In order to undertake this project, DuBois secured a grant of over $30,000 with the help of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. 

The Social Justice Center

A grassroots organization committed to building strong community activism which fights oppression in Albany.

CEC Is Located on the 3rd Floor of this Building

Over the past year, Victorio Reyes of the Social Justice Center created an advisory committee to help formulate a plan to green the SJC building. Several notable people joined the committee including, Joe Fama from the Troy Architectural Program, Jonah Vitale-Wolfe from Hudson Valley Natural Building, and Scott Kellog from the Rhyzone Collective.  When the SJC wasn’t approved for the initial grant they applied for, Victorio and his crew decided to move forward with a grassroots version of that plan: “We’re going to scale it back a bit,” says Victorio, “We probably won’t do the green roof anytime soon, but the roof needs replacing, so we may go with a rubber roof made from recycled tires.”  The plan also calls for a renovation of the main level, where member organizations hold meetings and community events. Among other changes, the worn hardwood floor will be refinished with an environmentally friendly varnish, and the electric bill will soon be converted to wind power through Community Energy. Most importantly, the construction of some indoor natural walls will become a classroom for interested local people. The SJC plans to charge a small fee in return for a hands-on workshop lesson in natural wall techniques. The money raised through these workshops will help the SJC continue to focus on greening the building where numerous organizations, including Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, got their start. By working with volunteers and through workshops to move toward this goal, the SJC will inspire similar building owners that just like other progressive actions, sustainable renovations are possible one small change at a time.

Albany Area Home

Home to a professor from the University at Albany, Dr. Delano and his family’s home features solar panels which generate about 40% of the home’s energy and a solar thermal system for generating hot water. Also, the owners purchase the rest of the electrical energy needed to power the house from renewable resources in addition to participating in a recycling program which as reduced their amount of domestic waste by almost 75%.

20 River Terrace – The Solaire

This residential building located in Battery Park City consumes 35% less energy and  requires 50% less potable water than a conventional residential building of the same size.  Some features include, an HVAC system, high-performance casement windows, Energy Star appliances and fixtures, photovoltaic panels that generate 5% of the buildings energy, and an on-site black water treatment system which supplies the cooling tower and toilets with water.  Also, over 65% of the buildings materials were manufactured within a 500-mile radius, 19% of the materials had recycled components, and over 93% of the construction waste was kept out of landfills by being recycled.