PNC Bank's Green Building at Bristow Shopping Center

 

Mark Yackel, Assistant Vice-President of the PNC Bank branch at the Bristow Town Center gave BristowEnews.com a VIP tour of their new Bank building which meets environmentally friendly building standards set by the U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Mark pointed out that the first thing people notice are all the windows, which are composed of four layers, a double layer of glass with a double layer of film, that sandwiches an air pocket to help insulate as well as let in natural daylight, thus saving electrical costs.

 

The building is positioned in a way that allows for the maximum use of daylight which is the light preferred by most people since it is relaxing and pleasant to be in. Retracting shades are available for use should the sun get too harsh or strong and if they need to cut down on heat entering through the glass. Most of the components inside the building are made from recyclable materials such as the carpets, cabinets, doors, entry way flooring and even the upholstery fabric.

Construction of the building is done in a modular way that reduces building cost and waste materials sent to landfills in addition to taking less construction time compared to traditional branches. More time was used in the initial design and development phase and allowed for a fluid building system. The exterior design reminds BristowEnews.com of Frank Lloyd Wright architectural designs. PNC Bank is now committed to building all their new buildings according to the "Green" or environmentally friendly standards. In cases where PNC must use existing construction and they know it won't meet "Green Certification Standards" they still bring in recycled materials and environmentally friendly products because that is important to their philosophy as a company. PNC Bank I the world leader in "Green Building."

 

Since PNC Bank buildings are well insulated and use natural lighting, they consume approximately 45% less in heating and air conditioning costs. Natural gas is used for heating and Non-chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants are used for the air conditioning system. Plants surrounding the building are native to the region and therefore require less watering. Other incidentals such as cleaning supplies or glues that emit fewer toxins are also used to help the environment. Green building standards are set at different levels such as bronze, silver and gold. PNC's first green building, which was built in Pittsburgh for their corporate headquarters, met silver level standards. PNC Bank also uses builders who are certified in the green building construction industry.

Mark has been in banking for about four years and came from another financial institution because he was excited about PNC and their growth in the area. Mark was particularly attracted to PNC's Green Building initiative because he agrees with the banks philosophy that not only is the bottom line important but how their bank impacts the environment and the community as a whole. Mark has also been involved with PNC's "Grow up Great" program where he has read to young children not yet in school. The program has given about one hundred million dollars over a ten year period to help educate under privileged children. Locally Mark is planning on contacting local schools to help children understand how to handle their finances, similar to their program at PNC's Falls Church branch.

PNC Bank's history dates back to the 1800's and was one of the first commercial banks to apply for a charter under the National Banking Act of 1863. A number of mergers and acquisitions, including the acquisition of Rigg's Bank, which was what brought PNC to the Washington area. The complete corporate history of PNC Bank can be found on their web site at: http://www.pnc.com. Look under "About Us" and "Corporate History."

PNC Bank Grand Opening is going to be on August 25th from 11 AM - 3 PM. We are going to have free money giveaways, raffling off a Bose entertainment center, free food, rides, community groups, and more. It should be a lot of fun for the whole family.

 

Date Published: 2007-08-08 00:00:00

Section: Business,