The gym at PS 59 maximizes daylight with big windows
(Below) Chancellor Klein visits with fourth graders who explain the building's
other "green" features
The new school building on East 63rd Street may look like any other, but it is actually the first of its kind.
The building, home to PS 59, is the City's first "green" public school, built 
according to the School Construction Authority's new environmentally friendly guidelines.
“We reduce, reuse and recycle,” a fourth grader, Jeremy Torres, said. “We use less electricity and the building is run by a computer.”
Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein unveiled the unique features of the school's design at a press conference last week. PS 59 is equipped with a computerized heating and cooling system that adjusts the indoor air temperature to conserve electricity. In addition, the school has large windows in the gymnasium to take advantage of natural daylight and cut down on the use of fluorescent lights. Metered faucets and dual flush toilets use 42% less water than traditional fixtures.
“The faucets shut off quickly so you don’t waste water,” a fourth grader,William Delince, explained.
The building was formerly a nursing residence for Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital. PS 59 is using the building temporarily while its new school is being constructed elsewhere in the neighborhood. The building will eventually be home to a new 500-seat District 2 school.
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