KPF Water Usage Display

An initiative by the KPFep team

Explore how our office use water in different scenarios through this interactive 3D visualization. This web app was created in celebration of City of Water Day —a regional day of action to advocate for a more resilient, equitable, and accessible waterfront.

Our goal is to educate our internal team about water consumption and inspire more sustainable design practices.

Scroll to begin exploring.

Annual Office Water Usage

Estimated Total: 45,839 cuft

This value represents the projected yearly water use for an office of 360 employees. It is calculated using standard fixture types in restrooms and the café, based on LEED Indoor Water Use Reduction Calculator with baseline flush and flow rates.

These estimates help us understand the operational impact of our water use and identify opportunities for improvement.

Office Condenser Water Usage

Estimated Total: 582,100 cuft

This estimate reflects the annual condenser water consumption for our office, based on actual billing data. The calculation uses current water rates published by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.

By evaluating real-world usage through utility bills, we gain a clearer picture of our building's cooling system demands—and where we may have opportunities for greater efficiency.

AI-Related Water Usage

Estimated Total: 800 cuft

This estimate reflects the annual water used to support AI tools in our office—from chatbots like KAI and KPF GPT to creative platforms like Midjourney, Magnific, and Runway. While AI enhances our daily work, it comes with environmental costs—particularly water used to cool data centers.

Disclaimer ⚠️

Though this usage is small compared to other sources, AI adoption is accelerating rapidly. Future models will exponentially increase resources demand, and current estimates may understate the actual impact.

Learn more 📙

AI image generation’s water cost

Water use in large language models

The Gentle Singularity

AI’s environmental impact (MIT)

About KPFep

Our commitment to sustainability

KPFep is KPF's internal sustainability team, dedicated to advancing environmental stewardship within our practice and the broader design community.

Through innovation, research, and advocacy, we strive to integrate sustainable design principles into every aspect of our work, from initial concept to final construction.

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