PITTSBURGH, Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. today officially opened its new headquarters, The Tower at PNC Plaza.
Local officials, labor dignitaries, PNC executives and project partners gathered at the 33-story, 800,000-square foot tower, which is located on the Southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and Wood Street and will host approximately 2,200 employees. The LEED® Platinum building was constructed to accommodate PNC's recent growth and designed to be the greenest office tower in the world.
"By reducing our operating costs, spurring development in downtown Pittsburgh and providing an environment in which employees are comfortable and productive, The Tower at PNC Plaza reflects PNC's ongoing commitment to serve all of our stakeholders," said PNC Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Demchak. "Furthermore, the tower, which has been designed to consume less water and energy, takes PNC's leadership in green building to a whole new level."
PNC expects the tower to consume 50 percent less energy and 77 percent less water than a typical office building. The building's state-of-the-art green technologies include:
- A double-skin facade: a window system in which two panes of glass are separated by a cavity that provides insulation and helps control the building's interior temperature. Fresh air enters the cavity through the exterior facade's windows, which automatically open and close depending on weather conditions, and passes through the interior facade's vents, which provide access to the building's floor plate.
- A solar chimney: consists of two vertical shafts located at the core of the tower through which warm air rises. The solar chimney and double-skin facade create a cycle in which fresh air enters the building, naturally warms, rises through the shafts and exits at the roof. PNC expects the double-skin facade and solar chimney to facilitate natural ventilation at least 42 percent of the year.
- Blinds with automated controls: located on the interior facade, they activate depending on the amount of light entering the building. They automatically close when there is glare or a significant amount of sunlight and open when lighting conditions are ideal.
- A water recycling and treatment system: the most advanced in the United States, it recycles and treats rain and wastewater for flushing, cooling and irrigation.
While focusing on the building's environmental impact, PNC also has remained aware of its impact on the local community. Approximately 2,500 temporary construction jobs were created as a result of this project, and nearly 20 percent of the tower's construction budget went to women- and minority-owned contractors. Furthermore, PNC has noticed a domino effect in which its investment has led (or is leading) to another, including facade renovations and new construction along Wood Street.
Equally important to the tower's environmental and community impact is occupant satisfaction. The tower was designed to optimize the employee experience by providing a comfortable environment that encourages collaboration. Ninety-two percent of the tower's workspaces have access to direct sunlight, and all employees have access to fresh air through the double-skin facade. Furnished two-story neighborhoods connect employees on different floors and provide alternative work spaces. Other amenities include bike racks, locker rooms, a full-service cafeteria with indoor and outdoor seating, an indoor park that features plants, furniture, fresh air and views of the city, and The James E. Rohr Auditorium, which can be used for employee and client events.
By building what it believes is the greenest office tower in the world, PNC hopes to inspire other companies to adopt similar, if not more advanced, practices. "From a resource conservation, operational efficiency and workplace satisfaction perspective, green building makes good business sense," said PNC director of Corporate Real Estate, Gary Saulson. "Fortunately, many companies already recognize the benefits of sustainable design, and it is only a matter of time before one of them builds the next greenest office tower."
Among others, the project team includes Pittsburgh-based contractor PJ Dick, Inc.; global design firm Gensler; global engineering firm BuroHappold; Seattle-based sustainability consultant Paladino & Company; and New York City-based experience design firm ESI Design.
For more information and to view or download multimedia assets related to this announcement, visit www.thetoweratpncplaza.com and http://pnc.mediaroom.com/thetoweratpncplaza.
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC) is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking; residential mortgage banking; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
CONTACT:
Emily Krull
(412) 762-5654
(412) 897-7065 (cell)
emily.krull@pnc.com
SOURCE PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
