Rising 33 stories near the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, The Tower at PNC Plaza opened in October 2015 as PNC's new corporate headquarters. Gensler and its partners set a new standard for sustainable skyscrapers, devising an innovative, low-energy strategy to heat and cool the building. From its one-of-a-kind, breathable double skin to its innovative workplace strategy, the LEED® Platinum-certified tower drives building performance to new levels. "We wanted to go one step further by developing a passive natural ventilation strategy that would bring fresh air into the building, giving workers a true feeling of being outdoors and connected to nature," wrote Gensler company on their blog, where you will find more about the process.

The building, which will host around 2,500 employees, represents the innovative and pioneering spirit of Pittsburgh and PNC's commitment to that community.

In addition to creating jobs and working with local and minority-owned suppliers, PNC wanted to minimize The Tower's impact on city infrastructure. Its decision to install a water recycling and treatment system, which significantly reduces the building's use of city water, is allowing the company to do just that. Waste water and rain water collected from The Tower's roof and outdoor terraces are recycled and treated for use in cooling, flushing and irrigation. This system functions similarly to a municipal water treatment system and has the capacity to treat 14,500 gallons of waste water and 10,000 gallons of rain water per day.

The $240 million project has a glass-facade, redefines the urban high-rise headquarters typology and raises the bar for how forward-thinking companies can use architecture as a means to inspire and enable great work to happen within their organizations.