PNC Firstside Center Pittsburgh Silver LEED green building rating

Creating a bank that is both friendly to customers as well as the environment is no small feat. But PNC Bank in Pittsburgh, with nearly 800 bank branches and 23,000 employees nationwide, has made integrating its business practices with environmental responsibility a top priority.

"As a bank we recognize the importance of wise investments and that the integration of green principles into our business practices enhances the value we deliver to customers, shareholders, communities and employees," says Neil Hall, CEO of regional community banking at PNC. "Good environmental sense makes good economic sense."

PNC has begun an ambitious effort to ensure new branches meet U.S. Green Building Council standards. The bank already has 10 environmentally friendly buildings, with plans to build at least 90 such branches with even more rigorous standards. PNC would be the first U.S. company to employ a "volume build" strategy for green buildings.

Features of these buildings include:

· Window walls: These feature a "four-element assembly" with two sheets of glass sandwiching two sheets of film. Layers isolate extreme temperatures, keeping the building cool when it's hot outside and viceversa.

· Masonry walls: Pre-cast polymer material allows branches to be quickly and economically built. They are manufactured off-site, resulting in less construction waste.

· Interior: Countertops are made of recycled paper and sustainable wood. Cabinetry is made of wheat board, a byproduct of wheat processing, instead of plywood, while the use of rubber flooring and steel is also sustainable as is recycled content in carpeting, wall covering and fabric for furniture.

"Customers are proud to do business with a socially responsible company and communities favor new construction and economic growth with minimal impact on local resources," says Gary Saulson, director of corporate real estate at PNC. "We also see improvements in the health and well-being of employees. In one PNC-green building, employee satisfaction was higher and retention improved 50 percent."

The construction cost of a "green branch" is the same as a traditional branch. However, construction time is four to five weeks faster, resulting in a 75 percent reduction in waste. The bank has also contracted to store and recycle material that would normally go to a landfill. Also:

· Daylight maximizes natural light without creating interior glare or heat; natural light both saves energy (7 percent energy reduction) and provides greater comfort for customers and employees.

· Solar energy photovoltaic panels on the roof capture and convert sunlight to energy, providing 10 percent of building energy.

· Water collected from the roof will be used to flush toilets, decreasing waste water by more than 50 percent and overall water consumption by 40 percent.

The environmentally friendly approach will be housed inside branches designed by Gensler, the world's largest architectural firm.

More Info: PNC Firstside Center Case Study

3/25/2005