HSBC takes a green step into the heartland

HSBC's new building in Mettewa, IL, just outside of Chicago, will have a lot to offer employees--a health club, a luxury auditorium, a nondenominational prayer room and lots of high-tech features. But the bank is also aiming to make a green statement, as are other big banks these days. According to the New York Times, some features of these green buildings would include "collecting roof water for flushing toilets; using Prairie-style, drought-resistant landscaping to reduce watering needs, light-guided window treatments, which track the sun's position to trim the need for heating and air-conditioning. In addition, parts of the roof are planted with vegetation, and all of the electricity used in the building is bought from renewable or non-carbon-emitting resources, including wind farms." 

For more:
- here's the New York Times article

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