A historic building was reimagined as a 15-story office tower powered by renewable energy.

A former Domino Sugar refinery in Brooklyn has gained new life as an all-electric office tower. An article by Nicole Saraniero in Untapped Cities describes the project and the building’s history.
The adaptive reuse project, The Refinery at Domino, was developed by Two Trees Management and reenvisions the historic, fossil fuel-powered refinery into 460,000 square feet of renewably powered office space.
The brick refinery building now houses a 15-story glass tower that includes a ‘first-of-its-kind’vertical garden installed between the brick facade and the new glass wall. “A 27,000-square-foot glass dome penthouse crowns the new building, offering stunning panoramic views of the New York City skyline.” The building also features a dedicated bicycle lobby with a ramp and secure bike parking.
According to a press release from Two Trees Management, “ The Refinery at Domino is powered by a mechanical system that utilizes efficient, all-electric equipment, making it one of only a handful of large buildings city-wide to have net-zero carbon emissions. The building is also part of an unprecedented private water reuse system located on the Domino campus; all of the wastewater generated by The Refinery is treated and reused onsite, diverting polluted water from city outfalls, improving the quality of the East River and reducing stress on the city’s burdened infrastructure.”
FULL STORY: The Refinery at Domino Opens in Former Industrial Brooklyn Landmark

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie