by Brianna Crandall — October 24, 2012—PNC Bank recently celebrated the company’s five-year anniversary in the Baltimore region by unveiling the largest “living wall” in Maryland at its new regional headquarters downtown. The company says it is committed to growth in the region and to helping create strong, vibrant communities.
PNC Bank says its commitment to downtown Baltimore is reaffirmed with the relocation of the local headquarters to One East Pratt Street. PNC occupies four floors and a branch on the ground level, which are expected to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Features include: energy-efficient lighting (24% less electricity used for lighting); water efficiency (30% reduction in water waste); and use of recycled materials (including steel studs, ceiling tiles, drywall, carpet and furniture). The space maximizes natural daylight and provides more than 90% of employees with direct views of the outdoors, reducing energy use and improving employee satisfaction.
Emblematic of its commitment to green building, PNC has installed what it says is the largest “living wall” in Maryland on the headquarters building. Serving as an icon for PNC’s new office space, the wall is 84 feet high by 24 feet wide and covers 2,016 square feet. It consists of 504 vertical planters made of recyclable aluminum, each filled with hardy ground cover plants — formed to display a tree with the PNC logo at the base. The wall is designed to add a vibrant, visual element to the building façade while contributing to the energy efficiency of the building.
The Green Roofs for Healthy Cities organization points out that green roofs and walls offer many public and private benefits such as aesthetic benefits, stormwater management, and moderation of the urban heat island effect for the area, as well as energy efficiency, fire retardation, noise reduction and increased marketability for the building.
