June 27, 2003—The new corporate headquarters for PFPC Inc., a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold level rating for outstanding achievement in sustainable design and construction, a first for a building in the state of Delaware. The certification is also a first in the US financial services industry.
The building’s features include:
- An environmentally appropriate location, which is not prime agricultural land, wetlands, a natural habitat, or in a flood plain;
- Heating and cooling systems that employ no chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants;
- Building mechanisms that exceed American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers energy efficiency guidelines by 21 percent;
- Carpeting that’s 70-percent recycled; and
- loor surfaces made of marmoleum, a new product made from readily renewable natural ingredients, such as linseed oil and sawdust.
In addition:
- Roughly 99 percent of the trees cleared during the construction phase were recycled;
- Storm water is captured in large underground pipes that treat the water to remove impurities and slow its exit from the site, eliminating any negative impact to adjacent stream levels;
- 47 percent of the building materials originated within a 500-mile radius, reducing pollution caused by long distance shipping;
- Indoor air quality is continually monitored via a building-wide carbon dioxide sensor system, while fresh air is supplied via adjustable vents in a raised floor system.
- The daylighting design featuring more windows allows 90 percent of the occupants to have an outdoor view and also minimizes the need for electric light during daylight hours.
- The building boasts bicycle racks, designated hybrid automobile parking with electric vehicle recharging stations, and a designated bus stop on the property to encourage alternate means of transportation.
