If customer interest in the grand-opening days is any indication, Washington County's first "green" bank should be a huge hit.

The new, ecology-friendly branch of Washington Federal Savings Bank in Peters opened earlier this month with a response that far outpaced expectations.

"We built it anticipating slow growth," said bank vice president and regional manager Michael Chaido. "Certainly we weren't anticipating the large amount of traffic."

Not only is the bank pulling in new customers, existing customers from the bank's Route 19 branch in Peters said they prefer the new branch on Valley Brook Road.

"They just like it better," Mr. Chaido said.

The new 3,600-square-foot bank is replacing the McMurray Towne Center location, which recently closed.

The building has been registered with the U. S. Green Building Council for certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, program.

A nationally accepted rating system for the design, construction and operation of so-called green buildings, the LEED process awards points for employing conservation techniques, such as the use of recycled materials, energy and water conservation, and encouraging alternative forms of transportation, such as bikes or buses.

The bank includes dozens of environmentally responsible features, from the recycled materials used on the roof, insulation and ceiling tiles to the rainwater recapture system that reuses the water in landscaping.

The company used forest stewardship-certified wood, from areas where trees are replenished at twice the rate they are harvested.

Motion-activated sensors control heating, air conditioning and low-lumen lighting fixtures, and micro filters in the ventilation system virtually eliminate airborne allergens.

Even construction waste, such as sawdust, was collected and reused.

The site, which borders the Arrowhead Trail and Brush Run Creek, also includes a bird sanctuary, with roosts for the Great Blue Heron.

The building's "green" status isn't immediately apparent and bank employees have found themselves educating customers who are surprised not to find cork floors and employees wearing Birkenstock sandals, Mr. Chaido said.

The building is designed to show that ecofriendly construction can appear as professional as traditional building methods.

"It doesn't look any different than any other office building, except it's green," Mr. Chaido said.