PORTSMOUTH, N.H. Gordon A. Simmons, President/CEO of
Service Credit Union, announced that the Corporate Offices building at 3003 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth was certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as LEED Gold.
As the centerpiece to the new gateway to the city, the four-story building features a full service, 24/7 live person contact center, foreign exchange, member check imaging, processing and control, finance, marketing, electronic services, audit, community rooms, conference rooms, and departmental and executive offices.� The three community rooms are offered for use by local city government, not-for-profit organizations and other community based associations to help with the growing need for meeting space in Portsmouth and nearby towns.
The building provides 36% less energy consumption; 40% less water consumption; 63% less CO2 emissions and has achieved a 98 Energy Star Rating, meaning that it uses 98% less energy than the usual non-environmentally friendly building of equal square footage.
"The design embodies Service Credit Unions values of service to the citizens of New Hampshire, its members, its employees and the credit unions commitment to environmental stewardship," says Simmons.� "The design incorporates a variety of efficient systems and sustainable design features that will minimize the buildings energy use while creating comfortable and highly functional work spaces."
Some of the green elements include a light color roof to reflect sunlight and produce heat gain, geothermal heating and cooling, solar hot water heating and reduced water usage. Other items cited were a brownfield redevelopment site, bike racks, and fuel efficient and car pool parking spaces.
"Our goal from the beginning was to use American materials and labor in constructing our new environmentally sound Service Credit Union Corporate Offices," says Simmons. "The building is a vital resource and hub of activity within in the city."
The new building was designed by the architectural firm of GUND Partnership of Cambridge, Mass. a nationally recognized practice with over 125 awards for design excellence. The building was constructed with local New England labor and managed by Suffolk Construction of Boston, Massachusetts. One of the most successful privately held building contractors in the country, the company provides preconstruction, construction management, design-build, and general contracting services to clients in all major industry sectors.
Service Credit Union is a full service financial institution, offering a wide range of financial products to its members.� With 42 branch locations including two staffed 24/7 contact centers, and full online banking services, Service Credit Union serves anyone who lives or works in New Hampshire (excluding Coos County), 4 towns in Cape Cod, MA., and all branches of the U.S. Military and Department of Defense employees and their families. With over $2.3 billion in assets, Service Credit Union has 24 branches in New Hampshire, one in Massachusetts, and 17 branches on U.S. military bases in Germany.
