Previewing Ultimate Skyscraper

As mentioned last week, I am always on the lookout to live a better, greener life, if only for selfish reasons to save myself money. So the latest special from the National Geographic Channel caught my eye. Ultimate Skyscraper premieres tonight at 9:00 and profiles a new building in Manhattan at One Bryant Park which is built to be one of the most energy efficient skyscrapers in the world.

The special isn’t much in terms of things you can do in your personal life but it is mildly interesting to see what goes into making a building in the middle of the most congested islands in the world and a green one. Ultimate Skyscraper does come off like a video a science teacher plays when he didn’t have time to create a real lesson for the day or doesn’t trust a substitute teacher to do anything but press the play button, and the less than enthusiastic narration doesn’t help much, but that cannot all be the dude from Pushing Daisies. But it would be interesting to see if they do a follow up once the building is complete to see if it does reach the potential the architect hopes it does. Check out the full synopsis below or head over to the National Geographic website for two video previews:

The Future Is Now

The Secret Roof Garden

NGC gives viewers an exclusive look at the design and construction of an eco-friendly marvel: One Bryant Park, set to be the second tallest building in New York City and one of the world’s most energy-efficient skyscrapers. Follow architects and engineers as they take a modern approach to green technology, incorporating innovative new systems including an on-site power plant that will reduce the buildings energy consumption by 50 percent. Then go behind the scenes with construction workers as they dig one of the deepest foundations in midtown, lay recycled steel beams, pour environmentally friendly concrete, and build a skyscraper whose blueprints could map out a new design for our planets future.