Branch Features
Each Green Branch is slightly different; however, they are all based on an innovative prototype design for consistency and efficiency. More than 50 percent of the materials used, including carpet and furniture fabric, are locally manufactured or made from recycled or “green” materials. For example, interior carpet tiles are made from 72 percent recycled material that is 100 percent recyclable into carpet at the end of its lifecycle. Hard floor surfaces are made from recycled rubber, and cabinetry and office doors are made of wheat board, a byproduct of wheat processing. The walls are insulated above code to improve efficiency, and the brick walls are prefabricated to reduce construction time. PNC trains its builders and contractors to obtain maximum recycling and minimal waste out of their labors. Construction waste, such as wood, steel and cardboard, is recycled or salvaged, reducing landfill waste by 150 tons per branch.
Energy usage at a Green Branch is decreased 34 percent or more compared to a traditional branch through high-efficiency systems and insulation, along with maximum use of natural light. In each branch are window walls, which are two sheets of glass that sandwich two sheets of film to isolate extreme exterior temperatures. Tellers also have access to motorized blinds that reduce heat and glare when the sun beams through windows. Non-chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants are used in the cooling system to protect the ozone, and branches are heated and cooled by a high-efficiency unit on the roof and lit by long-lasting fluorescent bulbs. Also, water usage is reduced by 6,200 gallons a year through the use of low-flow plumbing fixtures and drought-resistant landscaping. For instance, many branches are bordered by low-water plants that need only concentrated watering for the first couple weeks and, after that, can subsist on natural rainfall.
Beyond the environmental features, the contemporary design and service elements include a concierge desk with an employee who guides customers, Internet Café, coffee bar and plasma screens with business-related news and information. A minimum of four teller stations and at least one drive-thru banking station are available at each Green Branch to minimize customer wait time.
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Famous quotes containing the words branch and/or features:
“In communist society, where nobody has one exclusive sphere of activity but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticize after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, shepherd or critic.”
—Karl Marx (1818–1883)
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—Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)