The New Community Bank - It's Hip, Transparent and 'Green'



Pioneer Federal Credit Union incorporates casual lounge space, digital signage and branded messages in their new Broadway branch.

Pioneer Federal Credit Union is taking the meaning of community to new levels.  A new branch bank on Broadway Avenue in Boise reflects PFCU’s recent rebranding with fresh new colors and new marketing strategies to literally bring the community into the bank. Pioneer Federal wanted a space that is open and fresh - a place where people can hang out, access WiFi, and even host a community meeting or event.

Note:  CSHQA provided interior design services, including room layouts, signage and wayfinding, custom lighting fixture design, furniture selection including teller station design, interior finishes, and exterior color branding for the new building.  Architecture design and engineering were provided by others.

A key strategy is to be visible to the customer.  Offices, meeting rooms and the children’s area are enclosed with glass walls.  The exterior walls have large windows, opening the space to see in and out, and to bring in abundant natural light.  This physical transparency supports the concept of banking and financial transparency. 




Pioneer Federal Credit Union, panoramic view from entry

The second strategy is to be closer to the customer.  This meant removing traditional barriers between teller and clients, and inviting clients to enjoy the bank as an amenity, not just a place to rush in and out on an errand. 

Upon entry, clients are greeted at the door and entered into a digital queue.  Rather than stand in line they can wait in the lounge and have a cup of coffee. The teller then calls clients by name to the teller counter.  For this concept to work, the tellers must be visible, yet private.  They are located to the back of the main central space.  Wayfinding is integrated throughout to clarify the layout.



Custom designed teller stations

A third strategy is to align the style and ‘feel’ of the bank with its clients.  Bright green is one of PFCU’s new branded colors.  It is bold, fresh and youthful.  The credit union hopes to attract many of its customers from nearby BSU and the younger and professional demographic groups in the local neighborhood.  The rounded architecture of the building is reflected in the interiors with curved walls and a combination of curved and multi-faceted shapes in finishes and décor.

Proving their commitment to community, Pioneer Federal added a very special amenity:  a large meeting room built specifically to offer meeting space to the community.  The meeting space includes an integrated kitchenette and the restrooms remain accessible when the remainder of the bank is locked.  The curved space hugs and outer wall and like the spaces, the interior wall is full-height glass. 
 

PFCU community meeting room

Elizabeth Thomas, VP of Marketing for PFCU comments "People like the change and the vibrant, energetic colors.  The work space functions efficiently and is comfortable for the team members to work anywhere in the branch.  They enjoy the bank and its high tech look and are proud to promote their branch bank."



Pioneer Federal Credit Union, Broadway Branch, Boise (architecture by others)

Nicole Cecil, NCIDQ, ASID, LEED AP ID+C is the Project Manager and Design Leader of CSHQA's Interior Design Studio.  She has nearly 20 years of experience in matching materials and finishes to her clients' aesthetic style, business needs and project scope.  Her expertise spans many markets including retail, commercial office, healthcare, high-end residential and restaurant. 

Do Green Schools Make Better Schools?

Raymond S. Kellis High School Media Center, Peoria, AZ combines natural and interior lighting.

We believe energy efficient schools designed around principals of abundant natural light, healthier materials, lower energy use, healthy, low-contaminant air, and connection with views and nature are better for students and teachers alike.

A June 4, 2015 online article in Mountain States Construction magazine shared news about an inter-disciplinary team that will research this issue. The team, led by Colorado State University, will conduct a three-year study to learn if green environments have measurable effect on student learning, behaviors, health and well-being, and test scores.  [http://bit.ly/1GsHlDa]  Their goal is to take what we anecdotally believe to be true and closely study the effects of green schools on student performance.

Research team members are being drawn from CSU’s Institute for the Built Environment, plus several disciplines including sociology, economics, and environmental health sciences.  The St. Vrain Valley and Poudre School Districts in Northern Colorado will participate, helping researchers collect and measure data.  The four-year, $1 million grant is funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency.  


Eastern Arizona College Skilled Nursing Facility, Thatcher, AZ 

A Prior Study

A 2003 study conducted by Heschong Mahone Group regarding daylighting, windows and productivity in 450 Fresno, California schools was unequivocal in its findings that visual environment, including outside views, is very important for learning.  [http://bit.ly/1I1VZxV] 
 
Student learning was improved with outside views of nature or human activity, in rooms with ample daylight with methods to control glare and heat, in rooms where teachers used whiteboards vs. chalkboards (particularly for math), in rooms with good quality air, and in rooms where noise levels were controlled both within and without.  In its summary HMG found:

 The Importance of School Design Choices

These findings suggest the importance school planners should give to the architectural design of schools. The statistical models repeatedly demonstrate that physical condition of classrooms and schools are just as likely to affect student learning as many other factors commonly given much more public policy attention. Variables describing the physical conditions of classrooms, most notably the window characteristics, were as significant and of equal or greater magnitude as teacher characteristics, number of computers, or attendance rates in predicting student performance.

What Might We Learn?

So while the Colorado study is not the first study of green education environments by far, the timing, duration and multi-discipline approach should make it stand out.  We’re looking forward to learning the results and translating the findings into design refinements for future schools.  –


Queen Creek High School Cafeteria and Student Center, Queen Creek, AZ

Look for upcoming blogs on our healthy and energy efficient work in new and renovated schools.

Jim Murray, AIA, LEED GA is a principal with CSHQA and practices architecture in Denver, Colorado with an emphasis on designing healthy and energy efficient buildings.  He works with Colorado school districts on upgrades to critical systems such as security, food service and roofing replacements, as well as long-term planning and design of new and renovated K-12 facilities.

In Arizona, Scott Beck, AIA and Michael Harris, AIA provide education design services to school districts, community colleges and universities throughout the state.  Both of them bring over 30 years education design to new and renovated projects for classroom, food service, athletic, arts and performance, and vocational education spaces.   
 

 Efficient appliances speed cooking, reduce energy use, Lone Star Elementary School, Lone Star, CO

Airport Concesssions - Not Your Grandfather's Coffee Shop!

Big City Coffee, a local Boise favorite, is now in Boise Air Terminal.

In an industry known for wide fluctuations in volume and revenue, successful concessions contribute to airport profitability and long-term stability.

Depending on age and experience you may remember when the average airport had just three amenities:  a magazine, toy and candy stand, a brightly lit coffee shop (think pie case behind the counter), and a dimly lit lounge with rolling chairs and low cocktail tables.  Slim pickings with 2+ hours to kill between flights.

First Class Deli, restyled and updated technology, in San Jose Airport.

Average no more!  International airports have catered to arriving and departing travelers for decades, providing goods and services on site the moment a traveler needs them.  Large national airports followed and eventually the service-oriented trend reached all the way to general aviation terminals.  Now comes the new wave of restaurants and retail stores that are practically destinations in and of themselves.

And no wonder – non-aeronautical revenues at North American airports reached 45.1% of total revenues or $8.19 billion in 2013.  This includes $587 million for food and beverage, $663 million for retail and duty free, and $409 million for services such as telecom, shoeshine and spas.  (*data from the Airport Council International-North America 2014 Annual Benchmarking Survey)


Flames Restaurant, architectural rendering for San Jose Airport Terminal

Like any niche, concessions design has its unique elements:

• Circulation (and service) must focus on the traveler who is carrying bags and often has little time.
• Wayfinding must be clear.  Where to order, where to pay, where to be seated. 
• Entries and exits must be defined without doorways.
• Mobile ordering requires new tech solutions.
• A sit down restaurant needs to create atmosphere within an envelope while at the same time maintaining sight lines back into the terminal concourse.
• Kitchen spaces must be very well organized for production and flow.
• Lighting should be comfortable and define the space separately from the concourse.
• It goes without saying that furniture and finishes have to be durable and easily cleaned.
• Technology is going table-side.  No more finding a wall or column to plug in.

Before and after for San Jose Airport coffee bar

Our recent experience in this niche market includes Boise, Idaho and San Jose, California Airport Terminals.  Boise is remodeling and rebranding its concessions with more local offerings, including nine new venues including three full-service sit down bars and restaurants.  San Jose is adding new restaurants and refreshing existing spaces with a more polished look and better flow.

Airports are more than simple transportation.  They are a part of the experience, or the ‘journey’, and travelers are becoming more demanding.  The frequent flyer is professional, affluent and highly influential.  Capturing this market is critical.  Airports also serve as gateways and information centers to help market and sell the destination city or region.  Local food and beverage venues help brand and differentiate an airport, hopefully giving the traveler a positive memory for the next time he or she plans a business or vacation trip. –




Flames Restaurant Dining Room at San Jose Airport, architectural rendering


Based in Boise, Martin A. Hahle, AIA is a principal with CSHQA and design leader of the aviation design team.  His expertise includes planning, designing and coordinating renovations in occupied air terminals, while maintaining operations, access and security 24/7 throughout the construction process.  Based in Sacramento, Steve Wakeman, AIA, is an Associate and Senior Manager with CSHQA and project manager of work at San Jose Airport.

Pushing the Urban Boundary - CSHQA Moving to New Offices



CSHQA Office Rendering - Corner of 2nd & Broad Streets

When I jokingly told a friend that architects are always pushing urban boundaries because only lawyers can afford rents when areas mature, I wasn’t far off.  Urban redevelopment tends to follow the artists and creative types who are looking for unique spaces and cheap rents at the edges.  The second wave often consists of architects, designers and suppliers to the trades.  Eventually, shops, restaurants and public spaces solidify the redevelopment.

2^nd & Broad (aka 2|b) is our 54 year old warehouse that once was, literally, on the wrong side of the tracks.  It’s been a warehouse owned by the same family that built it.  Right now, it looks pretty rough around the edges and the redevelopment to office space won’t come cheap.  Yet after an exhaustive search around the valley it came out #1 on our list for potential redevelopment.

2|b offers incredible visibility, functionality and opportunity.  It sits directly across Front Street from the Ada County Courthouse; CSHQA staff will be on one floor, instead of three; and our team has a “free hand” in designing advanced energy saving and sustainable systems.  As designers, then users of the space we have an opportunity to really learn how design and operation interact to produce results.

As the project and design architect for 2|b, I have a lot of skin in this game; I am the steward of everyone’s goals, from print room to president.  But I’m not alone.  There is energy and excitement about this project and a huge emphasis on grassroots collaboration.

Over the course of construction I plan to write a few posts about the process, designing for your peers, and pursuing a high level LEED certification.  In the meantime read the news in the Idaho Business Review 1.31.13 and the Statesman http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/01/29/2429726/downtown-warehouse-to-house-cshqa.html. –

New Leadership - New Focus

John Maulin, Kent Hanway and Craig Slocum

Nearly a year ago, CSHQA stockholders elected new officers - Kent Hanway (president), John Maulin (executive vice president), and Craig Slocum (secretary/treasurer), plus six directors.  Former president Jeff Shneider, Principal Emeritus, continues to consult with the leadership team.

Kent, John and Craig offer a combined 75+ years of experience with CSHQA.  They are committed to serving clients through understanding their building and business goals and engaging all stakeholders in the design and construction process.  To learn more about the transition through the eyes of our president, reads Kent's interview dated November 28, 2012 on this blog.

Design & Conjecture

The gloriously restored dome of the Idaho State Capitol Building

Design & Conjecture?

Yes, it’s a design blog.  With something extra.

Hello, I’m KK Lipsey, Business Development Director at CSHQA, and editor of our new blog.  We’re planning a multiple author blog (I’m planning the calendar) so you can look forward to posts from a variety of very creative and insightful people.  We’ll share thoughts on design trends, small details that make a difference, big projects that change cityscapes, and possibly some random architectural and engineering notes, all served up in hexadecimal color.

Coming soon… an interview with the new CSHQA leadership, posts on sustainable housing and the new urban living room, sexy LED lighting, and a land use surveying project with a dirt-bike twist.  You’ll also meet experts and thinkers on energy efficiency, historical renovation for iconic public structures, 21^st century emergency departments, and the role of local artisans in today’s upscale retail boom.

I’m looking forward to these stories and more.  Please join us.  To share ideas and comments, email me at kk dot lipsey at cshqa dot com.  Thank you!  –