October 31, 2023

Epstein partnered with FXCollaborative for the renovation and expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, which was completed in 2013. As part of the program, Epstein served as the design architect and structural engineer for the convention center's Transformer Building, completed in 2021, and Truck Marshalling Facility, completed in 2013.

One of the massive complex's sustainable features is the 534,000 square foot roof system that includes 370,000 square feet of green roof. The paver area for this roof structure was 164,000 square feet and the roof leak monitoring system was 534,000 square feet. Gothamist recently highlighted the work done for the green roof and it's inherent boost in biodiversity.

The cityscape can also be inhospitable to its creators. New York's roughly 1 million buildings and more than 6,000 miles of asphalt roads contribute to the urban heat island effect as well as runoff resulting from impermeable surfaces. Green roofs are a way to retrofit the urban landscape to bring back wildlife while improving air quality and protecting the city against floods and extreme heat, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Several roof systems were analyzed for the new roof including the IRMA system and conventional insulated roof system. Of those two, the project constraints and opportunities led the Epstein design team to select the conventional roof system. The chosen system met loading requirements, slope to drain criteria, and will help to achieve optimal construction speed.

The scope of services for this project included:
• Removal of the existing paver ballast, rigid insulation, EPDM membrane and perlite board substrate
• Spot repair or replacement of deteriorated metal decking
• Installation of a new conventional roofing system inclusive of membrane and insulation
• Removal of existing and installing new roof drains in existing and new locations, including drain adjustments for roofing height
• Installing new roof drains around perimeter of roof and galleria
• Removing existing and installing new perimeter, penetration and curb flashings
• Installing polyisocyanurate tapered insulation to provide slope to roof drains or alternate lightweight concrete insulation
• Installing green roof components over new roof system
• Installing roof pavers
• Installing metal edging at locations between pavers and vegetative mat
• Installing Electric Field Vector Mapping system (EFVM) with alternate leak monitoring system

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