June 30, 2023

Olmsted Center LEED Gold Certified

The Olmsted Center in Flushing Meadows Park, is the headquarters and home for the staff of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The renovation and addition project was executed by BKSK Architects during two phases of work over ten years, culminating in this confirmation of LEED Gold Certification in June 2023.

The original building, built for the 1964/5 World’s Fair was upgraded, and adapted for use by Parks staff. Careful consideration was paid to the low-lying campus within a flood plain which required strategic modifications to the site to prevent future flooding of the buildings. In phase two we added a second building connected to the first and this summer is the first growth period for much of the improved landscaping.

We recently photographed the finished campus with both buildings, and were thrilled to see how much of the staff remains local, eating lunch and spending time outdoors with colleagues throughout the day on the grounds of the buildings.