PNC Firstside Center

Building Technologies Database (http://eere.buildinggreen.com/overview.cfm?projectid=62) on 2009-06-06. Please confirm that the import was successful, login, and remove this message. Help make the Green Building Brain better.**

Overview

• Location: Pittsburgh, PA
• Building type(s): Commercial office
• New construction
• 647,000 sq. feet (60,100 sq. meters)
• Project scope: 5-story building
• Urban setting
• Completed September 2000

• Rating: U.S. Green Building Council LEED-NC, v.2/v.2.1--Level: Silver (33 points)

PNC Firstside Center was built on a brownfield site in the central business district of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Environmental Aspects

From the initial decision to restore a brownfield site through design and construction, PNC Firstside Center has been a leader in environmental design. The center earned a Silver rating in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Rating System.

Owner & Occupancy

• Owned and occupied by PNC Financial Services Group, Corporation, for-profit

• Typically occupied by 1,800 people, 168 hours per person per week

The Center is in constant use. Even the cafeteria is open at all times to accommodate full-time or hourly employees.

Building Programs

Indoor Spaces:	Conference, Office, Lobby/reception, Electrical systems, Mechanical systems, Circulation, Classroom, Data processing, Restrooms, Cafeteria, Child care
Outdoor Spaces:	Other, Pedestrian/non-motorized vehicle path, Interpretive landscape

Keywords

Integrated team, Design charrette, Green framework, Green specifications, Commissioning, Operations and maintenance, Transportation benefits, Brownfield redevelopment, Indigenous vegetation, Stormwater management, Efficient fixtures and appliances, Efficient irrigation, Drought-tolerant landscaping, Massing and orientation, Insulation levels, Glazing, Airtightness, HVAC, Lighting control and daylight harvesting, Efficient lighting, Adaptable design, Durability, Recycled materials, Local materials, C&D waste management, Occupant recycling, Connection to outdoors, Daylighting, Ventilation effectiveness, Thermal comfort, Noise control, Low-emitting materials, Indoor air quality monitoring

Team & Process

Dino Persichetti Dick Corporation Contractor

[Elmer Burger, II, AIA](learnmore.cfm?ProjectID=62) LDA - L.D. Astorino Companies Architect (Principal in charge) Pittsburgh, PA

Paladino Green Building Strategies Environmental building consultant

The design team also included:

• Electrical engineer
• Landscape architect
• Structural engineer
• Mechanical engineer
• Lighting designer
• Plumbing engineer
• Interior designer

Finance & Cost

Cost data in U.S. dollars as of date of completion.

• Total project cost (land excluded): $108,000,000

Numerous decisions were made using a two-year payback cutoff.

The real payback is expected in worker productivity and retention rates, the potential savings of which dwarf construction costs.

Land Use & Community

The PNC Firstside Center is located on a brownfield site, a former B&O Railway terminal, along the Monongahela River. Development of this site is a considerable step toward the revitalization of downtown Pittsburgh.

Over half of PNC's employees utilize public transportation to get to work. A Port Authority bus stop and light-rail T station are located within walking distance of the Center. PNC is also within easy access of the Eliza Furnace Rail-Trail, used by walkers, runners, and bicyclists. To encourage responsible transportation, PNC provides bicycle storage racks, shower and changing facilities, and on-site electrical recharging stations for hybrid-powered vehicles.

• Properties with Excessive Impacts

  • Avoid contributing to sprawl

• Support for Appropriate Transportation

  • Provide safe access for bicyclers and pedestrians

  • Provide showers and changing areas for bicycle and pedestrian commuters

  • Provide storage area for bicycles
  • Provide access to public transportation
  • Provide for electric vehicle charging

• Property Selection Opportunities

  • Select brownfield sites for development

Site Description

• Lot size: 4.87 acres
• Building footprint: 127,000 sq ft (11,800 sq meters)

• Previously developed land, Brownfield site

• Development Impacts

  • Limit parking area

• Low-Water-Use Fixtures

  • Use low-flow toilets

• Integration with Site Resources

  • Use light-colored pavement to reduce heat island effect

• Irrigation Systems

  • Use water-efficient irrigation fixtures

  • Use automatic controls to improve efficiency and effectiveness of irrigation system

• Low-Impact Siting

  • Select building sites that make use of existing infrastructure

Energy

A unique, hybrid air-distribution system was developed to provide improved control and comfort, while providing flexibility, simplicity, energy conservation, and lifecycle cost benefits. Ventilation air is distributed beneath the raised floor with local diffusers that occupants can control. Overhead variable air volume units recirculate conditioned air for local needs and for more simplistic control. A building automation system monitors and regulates temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide concentrations. Outside air intakes are located away from loading areas and other sources of contamination.

The building was divided into five zones for all systems, each having a major vertical shaft element to service each floor. The extent of ductwork has been reduced to only these vertical shafts with air distributed horizontally in the underfloor plenum.

Commissioning coordinated all the building systems at the completion of construction to ensure efficient operation.

Exterior fixed sunshades were sized using computer modeling to reduce glare and heat gain. Solar devices control motor-operated interior shades.

 

Materials & Resources

• Natural Linoleum Flooring

Indoor Environment

An entryway water sculpture and piped-in "white noise" compensate for the added noise of an open working environment. Floor-to-ceiling walls were avoided whenever possible to increase daylighting and encourage interaction among employees.

PNC recognizes value in aesthetics and included, in addition to the water sculpture and trough fountain, the display of artwork throughout the building. Designers also recognized the visual opportunities of the location, utilizing the natural beauty of the Monongahela River.

• Entry of Pollutants

  • Design entry to facilitate removal of dirt before entering building

• Visual Comfort and The Building Envelope

  • Use skylights and/or clerestories for daylighting

• Visual Comfort and Interior Design

  • Design open floor plans to allow exterior daylight to penetrate to the interior

• Acoustics and Occupant Noise

  • Use moving water to create a pleasant acoustic environment

Awards

• AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects in 2001

• Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania in 2001;  Category/title: Building of the Year

• Historic Review Commission of Pittsburgh in 2001;  Category/title: Preservation Award

• BOMA in 2001;  Category/title: David L. Lawrence Award - Pittsburgh

• NESEA Green Building Awards in 2001;  Category/title: Commercial Project of the Year

• AIA Pennsylvania Chapter in 2001;  Category/title: Honor Award

• AIA Pittsburgh Chapter in 2001;  Category/title: Honor Award & Green Design Citation

• Pennsylvania Environmental Council in 2001;  Category/title: Three Rivers Environmental Award

• International Masonry Institute in 2001;  Category/title: Western PA Golden Trowel Award

• Master Builders' Association of Western Pennsylvania in 2001;  Category/title: Building Excellence Award

Ratings

• U.S. Green Building Council LEED-NC, v.2/v.2.1 in 2000;  achievement level: Silver (33 points)

  • Sustainable Sites, 11 of 14 possible points

    • SS Prerequisite 1, Erosion & Sedimentation Control
    • SS Credit 1, Site Selection
    • SS Credit 2, Urban Redevelopment
    • SS Credit 3, Brownfield Redevelopment

    • SS Credit 4.1, Alternative Transportation, Public Transportation Access

    • SS Credit 4.2, Alternative Transportation, Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms

    • SS Credit 4.3, Alternative Transportation, Alternative Fuel Refueling Stations

    • SS Credit 4.4, Alternative Transportation, Parking Capacity
    • SS Credit 5.2, Reduced Site Disturbance, Development Footprint
    • SS Credit 6.2, Stormwater Management, Treatment

    • SS Credit 7.1, Landscape & Exterior Design to Reduce Heat Islands, Non-Roof

    • SS Credit 8, Light Pollution Reduction

  • Water Efficiency, 1 of 5 possible points

    • WE Credit 1.1, Water Efficient Landscaping, Reduce by 50%

  • Energy and Atmosphere, 5 of 17 possible points

    • EA Prerequisite 1, Fundamental Building Systems Commissioning
    • EA Prerequisite 2, Minimum Energy Performance
    • EA Prerequisite 3, CFC Reduction in HVAC&R Equipment

    • EA Credit 1.1a, Optimize Energy Performance, 15% New 5% Existing

    • EA Credit 1.1b, Optimize Energy Performance, 20% New 10% Existing

    • EA Credit 1.2a, Optimize Energy Performance, 25% New 15% Existing

    • EA Credit 1.2b, Optimize Energy Performance, 30% New 20% Existing

    • EA Credit 3, Additional Commissioning

  • Materials and Resources, 4 of 13 possible points

    • MR Prerequisite 1, Storage & Collection of Recyclables

    • MR Credit 4.1, Recycled Content: 5% (post-consumer + 1/2 post-industrial)

    • MR Credit 4.2, Recycled Content: 10% (post-consumer + 1/2 post-industrial)

    • MR Credit 5.1, Local/Regional Materials, 20% Manufactured Locally

    • MR Credit 5.2, Local/Regional Materials, of 20% Above, 50% Harvested Locally

  • Indoor Environmental Quality, 8 of 15 possible points

    • EQ Prerequisite 1, Minimum IAQ Performance
    • EQ Prerequisite 2, Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
    • EQ Credit 1, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Monitoring
    • EQ Credit 2, Increase Ventilation Effectiveness

    • EQ Credit 3.2, Construction IAQ Management Plan, Before Occupancy

    • EQ Credit 4.3, Low-Emitting Materials, Carpet
    • EQ Credit 7.1, Thermal Comfort, Comply with ASHRAE 55-1992
    • EQ Credit 7.2, Thermal Comfort, Permanent Monitoring System
    • EQ Credit 8.1, Daylight & Views, Daylight 75% of Spaces
    • EQ Credit 8.2, Daylight & Views, Views for 90% of Spaces

  • Innovation and Design Process, 4 of 5 possible points

    • ID Credit 1.1, Innovation in Design
    • ID Credit 1.2, Innovation in Design
    • ID Credit 1.3, Innovation in Design
    • ID Credit 2, LEED® Accredited Professional

  PNC Firstside Center received "Innovation in Design" credtis for "Hybrid HVAC System," "Plug and Play Office," and "Public/Private Partnership for Transportation."

Learn More

It is possible to visit this project and tours are available.

Elmer Burger (Tour Contact) LDA - L.D. Astorino Companies 227 Fort Pitt Boulevard Pittsburgh, PA  15222 412-765-1700

*Primary Contact* Elmer Burger, II, AIA LDA - L.D. Astorino Companies Architect (Principal in charge) 227 Fort Pitt Boulevard Pittsburgh, PA  15222 412-765-1700