UKIAH, Calif. — Mendo Lake Credit Union has opened a full-service green branch.

The branch, designed to be compliant with the United States Green Building Council's LEED standards for new construction, is located in Fort Bragg, Calif., and used as many indigenous and sustainable resources as possible in construction. No electrically compressed refrigerant system was used in the building, and, for heat, a radiant floor heating system using water heated from rooftop solar panels was installed.

The floor plan includes a shower area to encourage employees to walk or bike to work and a recycling center. On the exterior, the parking lot used permeable paving to allow for drainage directly into the soil beneath and the landscaping was designed to be water efficient and to incorporate native and drought tolerant plants.