May 31, 2011

Paladino works on 'world's greenest skyscraper'

Images courtesy of PNC Financial Services Group [enlarge]

The Pittsburgh tower will have a double glass facade to reduce cooling costs and allow natural airflow to the interior.

PNC Financial Services Group is building what it says will be the “world's most environmentally friendly skyscaper” in Pittsburgh, and Seattle-based Paladino and Co. is working as a consultant on the project.

The Tower at PNC Plaza is expected to be the largest building in Pittsburgh at 800,000 square feet. The 40-story tower will have 300 underground parking spaces, streetlevel retail, green rooftops and PNC's corporate offices.

Construction is estimated to cost $400 million and completion is set for 2015.

The Pittsburgh office of Gensler is the architect. Pittsburgh-based PJ Dick is construction manager and U.K.-based Buro Happold is the engineer.

James Rohr, chairman and CEO of PNC, called the tower “an exclamation point on our investment in downtown Pittsburgh. When the tower is complete, we will have invested more than $700 million in green buildings at the heart of the city.”

It will be on the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and Wood Street, where PNC has been headquartered for 150 years. Design began in April and should be complete next spring. PNC will own the building and occupy all the office space.

[enlarge]

Paladino is acting as the owner's advisor on sustainability and will manage the integrated design process.

The tower will have a double glass facade to reduce cooling costs and allow natural airflow to the interior. Using advanced sensors and metering, the heating and cooling system will deliver conditioned air to specific zones as needed. The structure will be oriented to bring daylight to workspaces, reducing the need for artificial light.

The design team is exploring fuel cells, solar panels, geothermal systems and other alternative power sources. Green rooftops will collect rainwater for use in other parts of the structure.

PNC said in a press release that it has more newly constructed LEED-certified buildings than any other company. It recently completed LEED-platinum regional offices in Washington, D.C.