Location: Cheyenne, WY
Size: 5,750 sq. ft.
Category: Interiors
This ambitious design-build undertaking included a complex remodel and coordination effort within a dated high-rise building to house the new Western Vista Credit Union headquarters location. The outcome is an unparalleled banking experience, replete with amenities, including a state-of-the-art conference space and a Ziggi’s coffee shop adorned with chic cafe-style seating and a convenient pedestrian walk-up window. The hope is that the inviting cafe space, thoughtfully integrated with the credit union into one cohesive space, will connect the downtown to the public.
The team embarked upon this project with visionary sessions that brought to light the client’s aspirations: a high-tech, open-plan, innovative space with a modern design, destined to attract prominent tenants for the building’s remaining floors and, ideally, catalyze further remodeling efforts. They helped translate Western Vista’s brand guidelines into physical space by harmonizing the sleek modernity of the overall design with a refined warmth and contrast. Neutral-toned wood grain wall panels in the lobby and conference room impart a sense of organic elegance that tempers the prevailing white palette found elsewhere, while darker large-format tile surrounding the fireplace and shadowy quartz on the teller desks provide additional grounding balance.
The existing six-story precast concrete structure, constrained by limited ceiling heights, presented a myriad of design challenges throughout the course of the project. To seamlessly integrate modern HVAC, electrical systems and updated finishes, the team found solutions within the building’s original framework. To maximize ceiling height, recessed cove lighting was incorporated on the perimeter of the lobby, and the ceiling was left exposed, save for acoustic treatments artfully arranged in a configuration that mirrors the iconic Western Vista logo. Subtle yet impactful, the teller desks and conference room’s slat ceiling installation and carpet also incorporate the logo, affording moments of discovery that gently connect employees to the Western Vista Credit Union’s mission. Concealed behind large millwork panels, the ATM remains discreetly hidden from visitors while enabling seamless employee access. The floor-to-ceiling spandrel glass panels enveloping the pre-existing aggregate walls complete the inviting aesthetic that establishes this sleek and modern lobby as an unprecedented gem within the downtown Cheyenne landscape.
