Dive Brief:

• An 800,000-square-foot office building under construction in downtown Pittsburgh is being touted as the “greenest skyscraper in the world.”

• The Tower at PNC Plaza is expected to exceed LEED Platinum certification, the highest energy and environmental rating offered by the U.S. Green Building Council.

• The building will feature highly efficient lighting and ventilation systems, use several forms of renewable energy, incorporate natural light, and allow seasonal temperature changes to moderate building temperatures. The features mean less mechanical heating and cooling will be needed.

Dive Insight:

The skyscraper’s most unique feature is a double façade with outer windows that automatically open and close in response to outdoor temperatures, sunlight, humidity, and pollution levels. When open, the windows draw fresh air into a central shaft and onto the floors of the office building in a process that designers say allow the structure to “breathe.”