Call center in Maine belies expectations

The new TD Bank call center in Auburn, Maine, is not what you’d expect. The 60,000-sf building is the first call center in the country to earn LEED-CI Platinum certification. Designed by Harriman Architects and Engineers, the center goes against traditional models by incorporating large windows, artwork and murals, a skylight, and break areas for employees. The center cost $16 million to design and build and can accommodate 500 workers. Workstations are low with glass-top panels to encourage employee interaction, and new entrances let in natural light, reducing energy consumption. Other green features include reuse of a previously vacant building, recycled material for ceiling tiles, low-VOC paints and adhesives, high-performance windows, and landscaping with water-tolerant plants to control stormwater runoff.