The Croton Water Filtration Plant, located in the Bronx borough of New York City, is a multi-functional design that provides habitat, park restoration, visual enhancement, and site security for a multi-billion-dollar public works facility. The program required the seamless integration of a publicly accessible golf course, driving range, and clubhouse with the above-grade facilities that service the plant.

Commissioned by New York City’s Departments of Environmental Protection and Parks & Recreation, Croton is the city’s first water filtration facility and addresses the growing need for sustainable water strategies. It illustrates leading green practices for water management, creating a benevolent civic project underpinned by detailed technical tactics.

Grimshaw was commissioned to design the above-ground facilities for the entire site. This portion of the project began in 2006 and focused on the northern half of the site that is designated for NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) use. These early phases included the design and construction of the Arrivals and Receiving Building, which is the above-ground facility that is organized on four levels and descends 100 feet to the water filtration plant below ground. 

The refined, industrial look of the building complements the complexity of the plant’s pumps and treatment tanks below. The exterior of the building is clad with stone and weathering steel panels and features a 9-acre, high performance green roof that is one of the largest continuous green roof in North America.