“It’s not every day we get to paint a roof in Midtown,” said Special Projects Manager for the New York City Service Wendy Dessy to a group of volunteers assembled in the basement of the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center.
As she distributed buckets filled with paintbrushes and gloves, an audible hum of excitement began to fill the room. Dessy announced today’s project – the completion of a white roof installation atop the Koch Theater.
Why a white roof?, you might ask. The bright paint helps conserve energy by reflecting the sun’s light back into the atmosphere, Dessy explained. As opposed to conventional roofs, which absorb heat – adding up to five degrees to the surrounding environment – white roofs create an envelope of cooler temperature, reducing the cost spent on air conditioning to cool the building during summer
Dessy said the majority of Service projects she helps organize are in the city’s outer boroughs, areas that lack the resources and political attention received by boroughs in mainland Manhattan.
Accordingly, Tuesday’s cool roof installation at the Koch Theater was the result of extensive public-private collaboration. The NYC Service, a volunteer-based initiative started by Mayor Bloomberg in 2009 and led by Dessy, teamed up with the nonprofit Community Environmental Center and ConEdison, the city’s main energy utility and a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. Together, the agencies recruited volunteers, students, and employees to paint the roof.
David Shih, 24, an MBA candidate at New York University and one of the cool roof volunteers, said projects like this are critical to the modern business world.
Another volunteer named Rich Megia described the link between business and sustainability as “a type of synergy.” Megia, a graduate student at Marist College, said, “When you are helping people to save money, conserve energy, and protect our environment, you are contributing to that synergy. The cool roof is an easy way to do all three.”
Koch Theater Managing Director Mark Heiser expressed equal satisfaction with the project. “It’s a no brainer,” he said after touring the roof.
“It’s nice and cool in here,” said Jacqlyn Aloisi, a volunteer from ConEdison, as she entered the shadowed stairwell after a stint of rooftop painting.
“See, it’s working already,” said Heiser.
MBA candidates and energy utility employees team up with volunteers from a New York City service agency to paint a theater in the notorious Midtown area white.
