New LEED-certified Hudson River Community Credit Union in Troy, built by F. H. Alexander.
By Jill Nagy
An attractive-looking building at the northern edge of Troy is one of the first financial institutions in New York State to receive Gold LEED certification as an environmentally friendly, “green,” building. The Troy office of the Hudson River Community Credit Union, opened in 2010, received the Gold certification last week.
The Gold level certification came as a pleasant surprise to the company; they were aiming for Silver, a lower rating, according to Christine Somers, Community and Electronic Media Manager for the credit union.
Certification by LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a national organization, recognizes many factors in the design, construction and environment of a building. In the case of the Hudson River CCU it included the proximity to a bus stop, other nearby businesses, and reservation of a prime parking space for a fuel efficient vehicle, as well as the use of sustainable and recycled materials and provisions for energy efficiency.
“We’re very excited about that project,” said CEO Sue Commanda, “It was a really interesting project and it’s wonderful to be able to do a LEED project.” Commanda worked directly with the contractor, learning the LEED process along with him. “I was lucky,” she said of that experience.
The building is on the site of a former HSBC bank building at the intersection of Routes 40 and 142. It was designed by Dave Sadowsky of Petersburgh, an architect who specializes in LEED buildings.
Only the steel frame of the old building was left intact. Everything else, except for the glass, was recycled or reused after the old building was demolished, according to Frank Alessandrini, owner of F.H. Alexander of Ballston Lake, the building’s general contractor. The asphalt was ground up to form the base for the new parking lot. Stone veneer reappeared as patio paving. Countertops and flooring were refurbished and reused.
An array of photovoltaic panels on the roof is the only obviously “green” feature of the building. The power produced from those panels is expected to provide 70 percent of the electric power needed to operate the branch, said Ed Behan, Vice President for Marketing and Community Relations for Hudson River CCU, and the institution expects to reduce energy costs another 10 percent or so through the use of energy-efficient lighting, automatic light controls, and fuel-efficient heating and air conditioning. Water usage will also be reduced, by about 30 percent, through a combination of water-saving plumbing fixtures and landscaping with plants that will not need watering.
Commanda said that the company expects to recoup its investment in energy-saving devices, particularly the photovoltaic panels, in eight years “but,” she said, “it depends on the weather.” They are just now evaluating data on energy-cost savings.
Tax credits for energy-saving construction do not apply; the credit union is a not-for-profit and does not pay income taxes.
Alessandrini offers another measure of the low environmental impact: “We diverted 50 percent of the waste from the landfill,” filling less than three dumpsters instead of the four that would be typical for a project that size.
This was the first venture into LEED-certified construction, both for Alessandrini and for Hudson River CCU. Said Behan, “It seemed to make sense at that time to proceed in that way.” From his point of view, an important aspect of the project was that “we attempted to keep things local.” All construction materials were sourced within 500 miles of the site. Commanda is also upbeat: “We are really proud to be able to bring something like this to that area.”
For the contractor, the process was “a bit cumbersome.” There was, he said, a lot of paperwork–“but I use ‘paperwork’ in the figurative sense because it was all done online,” he added. For example, he had to account for every pound of waste. Some of the subcontractors had to be coaxed into utilizing new methods and materials, such as asphalt containing chunks of old recycled asphalt and spread at a lower temperature than conventional asphalt.
Despite the cumbersome record-keeping requirements, he recently started work on another LEED project, a service center in Latham for Hertz Car Rentals. “We know the process now and that helps,” Allessandrini commented.
The contractor and the credit union are also collaborating on another project, Hudson River Community Credit Union’s main operations center in Corinth. They are not aiming for LEED certification on that project but are concentrating on energy efficiency.
Behan said that “employees are happy to work in a building made of sustainable materials.” Efficient air filters and other aspects that provide good indoor air quality can be expected to add to employee morale. A ten-foot “walk-off carpet” at the entrance is designed to remove pollutants as people come into the building. (It looks like a piece or carpet.) Adhesives, sealants, paints, carpets and the like were specified with low or zero levels of volatile organic compounds–no “new car” smell. The facility is bathed in daylight and every workstation provides a view of the out of doors. To further enhance air quality, smoking is prohibited within 25 feet of the building.
The countertops are polished granite from a nearby quarry. Much of the wood is bamboo, a fast-growing, easily replaced, wood. More than 75 percent of the wood used in the building was certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council. The building is insulated with materials made from old blue jeans and recycled paper. Special roof shingles are designed to act as a “heat island,” reflecting heat and further reducing cooling costs. Even the paper cups at the coffee machine are biodegradable.
The construction process itself was designed with an eye to the environment. An indoor air quality management plan was implemented during the construction process to reduce dust and other types of air pollution. Email and other digital processes were used during the bidding process and to circulate drawings and specifications, saving on the costs of paper, printing, postage, and fuel.
In addition to its environmental innovations, the new building is Hudson River CCU’s first venture into Rensselaer County. Along with three facilities in in Albany County (Cohoes, Watervliet and Green Island, all in the northern part of that county), it marks the southern boundary of the credit union’s current service area. All of its other branches are in Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties.
The company has been growing. Assets total $161 million, up from $155 million a year ago, Behan said. He saw a marked increase in membership around the time that the HSBC branch closed and the Hudson River CCU opened.
The Troy branch has 930 members, most of them new to the credit union; 75 joined in the first quarter of 2012. In addition to the former HSBC customers, “every time banks change their fee structure, we get new members,” Commanda said.
In another bow to environmental concerns, Hudson River CCU offers “Ever-Green Vehicle Loans,” with reduced interest rates when members finance or refinance the purchase of a qualified hybrid motor vehicle.
The plaque recognizing LEED Gold status was awarded on April 19 at a ceremony attended by Troy Mayor Lou Rosamilia; State Senator Roy McDonald; Jody Smits Anderson, board chair of the Upstate New York chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, as well as credit union officers and the architect.
To reach F. H. Alexander, call 877-0677; to contact Sue Commanda, call 654-9028.