Typically, banks are not the most open, airy, and inviting of spaces. Like a shirt and tie that are just a bit too small, they can sometimes feel a bit stuffy and suffocating. Finances already cause enough stress and gloom in people’s everyday lives, so why do financial institutions all have a shared aesthetic with a mortuary?
SmithGroupJJR, The Christman Company, and Lake Trust Credit Union were asking that same question. And with the help of some employee collaboration workshops, the new $26 million dollar Lake Trust Credit Union headquarters, located in Brighton, Mich., is anything but stuffy.
The new headquarters building, which is home to 240 employees and is designed to accommodate up to 325 employees, offers a 100% open work environment, bucking the trend of the dark, stuffy designs many financial institutions opt to go with.
The 100,000-sf headquarters sits on a diverse 16-acre site that features wetlands, woodlands, and rolling topography. In an effort to connect to the surrounding outdoors, the headquarters has a two-story front porch, a second floor balcony equipped with an outdoor dining area, and a terrace overlooking the wetlands located on the north side of the building. In addition, the front entry has a living wall serving as the backdrop.
The interior of the building also has this “un-bank” theme carried throughout. The building’s three levels are connected with a grand stair and a large atrium that can double as an impromptu auditorium. Amenities include a full-service cafeteria and a dining space.
The new headquarters is targeting LEED certification with the use of sustainable design features such as large expanses of efficient, low-e glass for ample natural light and improved insulation, refurbished wood paneling from demolished Detroit buildings, and bioswales restored with native vegetation to help with storm water management.
The president and CEO of Lake Trust Credit Union, David Snodgrass, described the building as “very un-corporate like” and said it looks more like something you would find at a company like Facebook or Google, rather than a financial institution.
SmithGroupJJR provided the design services such as programming, architecture, interior design, and all of the engineering. The Christman Company provided a wide array of development, program management, and construction management services. Finally, Interior Environments helped to furnish the building.
Photo Courtesy of SmithGroupJJR
Photo Courtesy of SmithGroupJJR
Photo Courtesy of SmithGroupJJR
Photo Courtesy of SmithGroupJJR
Photo Courtesy of SmithGroupJJR
Photo Courtesy of SmithGroupJJR
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Jun 12, 2023
Goettsch Partners completes its largest China project to date: a mixed-used, five-tower complex
Chicago-based global architecture firm Goettsch Partners (GP) recently announced the completion of its largest project in China to date: the China Resources Qianhai Center, a mixed-use complex in the Qianhai district of Shenzhen. Developed by CR Land, the project includes five towers totaling almost 472,000 square meters (4.6 million sf).
Mixed-Use | Jun 6, 2023
Public-private partnerships crucial to central business district revitalization
Central Business Districts are under pressure to keep themselves relevant as they face competition from new, vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods emerging across the world’s largest cities.
Energy-Efficient Design | Jun 5, 2023
Implementing an ‘asset drawdown strategy’ for site decarbonization
Solidifying a decarbonization plan via an “asset drawdown strategy” that carefully considers both capital and operating costs represents a game-changing opportunity for existing properties to compete with new projects.
Office Buildings | Jun 5, 2023
Office design in the era of Gen Z, AI, and the metaverse
HOK workplace and interior design experts Kay Sargent and Tom Polucci share how the hybrid office is evolving in the era of artificial intelligence, Gen Z, and the metaverse.
Urban Planning | Jun 2, 2023
Designing a pedestrian-focused city in downtown Phoenix
What makes a city walkable? Shepley Bulfinch's Omar Bailey, AIA, LEED AP, NOMA, believes pedestrian focused cities benefit most when they're not only easy to navigate, but also create spaces where people can live, work, and play.
Mixed-Use | Jun 1, 2023
The Moore Building, a 16-story office and retail development, opens in Nashville’s Music Row district
Named after Elvis Presley’s onetime guitarist, The Moore Building, a 16-story office building with ground-floor retail space, has opened in Nashville’s Music Row district. Developed by Portman and Creed Investment Company and designed by Gresham Smith, The Moore Building offers 236,000 sf of office space and 8,500 sf of ground-floor retail.
Office Buildings | May 24, 2023
The future of work: What to expect in 2023
While no one disagrees that the workplace has undergone tectonic changes, it is less clear how to understand these shifts and synthesize them into practical action for the coming year.
Multifamily Housing | May 23, 2023
One out of three office buildings in largest U.S. cities are suitable for residential conversion
Roughly one in three office buildings in the largest U.S. cities are well suited to be converted to multifamily residential properties, according to a study by global real estate firm Avison Young. Some 6,206 buildings across 10 U.S. cities present viable opportunities for conversion to residential use.
Headquarters | May 16, 2023
Workplace HQ for party clothing company Shinesty celebrates its bold, whimsical products
The new Denver headquarters for Shinesty, a party clothing company, was designed to match the brand’s fun image with an iconic array of colors, textures, and prints curated by the design agency, Maximalist. Shinesty’s mission, to challenge the world to live more freely and “take itself less seriously,” is embodied throughout the office interior.
Office Buildings | May 15, 2023
Sixteen-story office tower will use 40% less energy than an average NYC office building
This month marks the completion of a new 16-story office tower that is being promoted as New York City’s most sustainable office structure. That boast is backed by an innovative HVAC system that features geothermal wells, dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) units, radiant heating and cooling, and a sophisticated control system to ensure that the elements work optimally together.
