Our tagline has long been A Better Way. It started as a better way to build, and over time, it has come to mean something broader — how we think about our people, our communities, and the planet we all share. Sustainability is not about one feature or one certification, it shows up in the choices we make. What can be reused, how spaces are planned, which systems and materials make sense, how efficiently buildings can operate, and how our work can have a positive impact beyond the building itself.
Giving Existing Buildings Another Life
Adaptive reuse has long been part of VIP’s work. Across Central New York, we have helped transform former warehouses, industrial buildings, offices, historic properties, and other underused spaces into housing, workplaces, mixed-use developments, and modern facilities. Projects including The Post Mixed-Use Development, Pike Block, and One Webster’s Landing Apartments, demonstrate what can happen when an existing building is viewed as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.
One Webster’s Landing has been adapted more than once over its 130-year history. Most recently, VIP transformed the former office building into 34 apartments while preserving original brick walls, timber framing, hardwood floors, and the building’s historic character.
Designing For How a Building Will Live
Sustainability also means looking beyond the day a project is completed. Because VIP designs, builds, develops, owns, and manages buildings, we understand that decisions made early can continue to affect a building for years.
Depending on the project and an Owner’s goals, sustainable strategies may include maximizing natural daylight, improving building envelopes, incorporating energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, using smart building controls, reducing water use, reusing existing materials, and planning spaces that can adapt over time. Explore VIP’s Adaptive Reuse Portfolio.
Reusing an existing structure allows materials, buildings, and infrastructure that are already in place to continue serving a purpose while bringing new activity to properties and communities that may otherwise remain underused.
Small Decisions Working Together
VIP’s Headquarters at The Post is one example of that thinking in practice. The office was created within a former industrial portion of the iconic Post-Standard building in downtown Syracuse. From the beginning, the design focused on reusing what made sense, maximizing daylight, supporting employee health and wellness, and reducing the environmental impact of the new space.
VIP’s office incorporates sustainable and WELL-inspired features that support health, wellness, and responsible resource use. Open studio spaces maximize natural light, while reused furniture and architectural elements, energy-efficient systems, LED lighting, water-saving fixtures, composting, and operable windows support the space.
"Throughout the process, we learned that small decisions work together to make a big impact, and that idea continues to shape how we think about sustainability today. "
When Sustainability Supports a Larger Mission
The same thinking can take different forms depending on the project. VIP’s long-standing partnership with the Food Bank of Central New York began as a 63,000 SF warehouse renovation that evolved into a 97,000 SF regional hub with green features such as a geothermal HVAC system, high-efficiency lighting, and insulated metal panels. Those sustainability decisions supported more than building performance – they helped the Food Bank of CNY increase its capacity to distribute much needed food throughout the Central New York community. That connection matters.
Sustainable choices are most meaningful when they support what a building — and the organization inside it — is ultimately there to do.
Extending Beyond the Building
At our own headquarters, VIP incorporated LEED- and WELL-inspired practices into the design without pursuing formal certification, with a focus on environmental responsibility, employee wellness, and connection to the surrounding community.
VIP was also recognized by the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency with its Blue Ribbon Recycler distinction, reflecting ongoing efforts within the workplace to reduce waste and encourage more responsible resource use.
Certification When it Supports the Goal
Some Owners choose to pursue formal sustainability certifications, while others focus on specific performance, efficiency, or wellness goals without certification.
At Syracuse University’s Green Data Center, sustainability was built into the way the facility generated power, managed heat, and cooled its servers. The 12,000 SF facility earned LEED certification and was anticipated at completion to use approximately 50% less energy than a conventional data center.
A Better Way for the Long Term
There is no single definition of a sustainable building, and no single solution works for every project. For us, it comes back to making thoughtful decisions — about what we reuse, what we build, how spaces perform, how people experience them, and how buildings can continue to serve their Owners and communities over time. Sometimes those decisions are significant. Often, they are small. Together, they are part of what A Better Way means at VIP.
The goal is not to add sustainable features for the sake of having them. It is to make thoughtful choices that work together and make sense for the building, the people who use it, and the Owner's priorities.
About VIP Structures
For more than 50 years, VIP Structures has helped organizations plan, design, build, develop and manage facilities that support their operations and long-term goals. Headquartered in Syracuse, New York, VIP’s integrated family of companies provides architecture, construction, building technology, development, and property management services to clients throughout Central New York and beyond.
