Skokie bank office on the cutting edge of green
BY MIKE ISAACS misaacs@pioneerlocal.com October 10, 2011 11:30AM
Architect Joe Behles (left) explains the environmentally-advanced features of the new First Bank & Trust building being built near Dempster Street and Crawford Avenue. The bank Monday conducted tours. | Brian O'Mahoney~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: November 15, 2011 8:37AM
No one is likely to have answered a bank when asked the most environmentally-friendly building in the area.
But that’s what’s shaping up near Dempster Street and Crawford Avenue where a new branch of First Bank & Trust is under construction.
This isn’t just any bank branch.
There are so many green initiatives associated with the small branch office at 4007 Dempster St. that it’s likely to receive a gold rating by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Skokie’s new police headquarters was the first public building in the village to receive such a gold rating last year.
“We chose to build a LEED facility because it is the right thing to do,” said First Bank & Trust Corporate Secretary and Administrative Officer Joan Yohanan. “We made a conscious decision to be as responsible to the environment as to the communities we serve.”
The branch office, which occupies 3,600 square feet and is currently under construction, is expected to open in December. But the bank conducted private tours Monday to provide the first taste of what’s ahead.
A 2,200 square-foot green roof will include a dozen small plants with a storm water capacity of 3,956 gallons and soil depth of 6 inches.
Jennifer Smith of Live Roof said that installing a green roof could double or even triple the life expectancy of the roof.
A green roof covers 66 percent of the roof area of the building, reducing the urban heat island effect of conventional roofing systems.
The building employs a geo-thermal heat pump, which extracts energy embedded in the earth, allowing for a 25 percent reduction in energy from non-renewable resources.
Architect Joseph Behles said that the upfront costs for such environmentally advanced features can be 10 to 15 percent more than a standard bank building of the same size.
“You pay a premium to install such a project but you recoup costs in the long-run,” Behles said.
Behles estimated that it will take 10 to a dozen years to make up the difference, at which time there are likely to be more buildings of this kind in the area.
“They might be several years ahead of their time but I think we’re seeing more of these kinds of bold initiatives,” he said.
Other building features will include an insulated tile rain screen exterior made from 40 percent recycled material and providing better thermal and moisture conditions for interior spaces. Large floor-to-ceiling windows and high clerestory windows are aimed at bringing ample sunlight into the building.
The bank branch will use energy-efficient light fixtures and efficient water plumbing to reduce potable water by 42 percent.
Bank officials say that 20 percent of all building materials are being obtained from recycled sources, 20 percent from regional sources within 500 miles with 90 percent of all construction waste to be recycled.
All paints, coatings, sealants and floorings used in the building are low-emitting, creating a healthier work environment for building occupants, they say.
First Bank & Trust opened its first branch 15 years ago in Evanston and has since expanded with four branches in Evanston, one in Skokie, one in Itasca and one in Winnetka.
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