RALEIGH, N.C. – The City of Raleigh Appearance Commission has presented Coastal Federal Credit Union with the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Community Appearance. The credit union was honored for `outstanding contribution toward enhancing the beauty of the City of Raleigh' with its Wakefield Commons branch. Coastal FCU was among a select handful of honorees, and one of only two to win an award in the commercial property category. The Wakefield branch, which opened in September 2003, was recognized not only for its overall physical appearance, but also for the environmental and energy-saving aspects of the design. The sweeping, arched roof and large windows create an inviting open-air feeling, while the use of natural light and energy-efficient glass helps keep operating costs down. The walkway into the main entrance bridges an attractive water feature that is actually part of a rainwater runoff management system, minimizing the environmental impact of the building. Two additional Coastal branches built using the award-winning Wakefield design are currently open in Durham and Cary, N.C. Another is under construction in Apex, N.C. All were designed by Raleigh-based locals Architektur, Pa. and built by Centurion Construction.