Consumers Credit Union’s New HOK-Designed Headquarters Emanates from Nature

Consumers Credit Union, one of Michigan’s largest homegrown financial institutions, opened its new HOK-designed Kalamazoo headquarters this week. Nearly 150 employees previously working in four separate buildings moved into a 22-acre collaboration center situated among rolling hills and wooded ravines. The centerpiece: a contemporary, three-story office evoking its natural surroundings, designed to bring employees closer together while providing unmatched amenities.

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“Our new home underscores Consumers’ strong commitment to West Michigan, including its communities and its local economy,” said Kit Snyder, president and CEO of Consumers. “This new space gives our entire team a place to call home, and a prime location to recruit and train new employees as we continue to grow.”

“Our design for the new headquarters captures and manifests the core values and sense of identity of Consumers Credit Union,” said Peter Ruggiero, AIA, design principal for HOK’s Chicago practice. “Designed to promote communication, the open, collaborative workplace recognizes its unique surroundings through its placement on the site and the access to daylight and views afforded by the thoughtfully-designed plan.”

Consumers and HOK collaborated to design the 92,000-square-foot branded environment that expresses the company’s values while fostering collaboration. The building accomplishes these goals through several design strategies:

• Open Workspaces, Collaboration and Training: The open floor plan includes modern workstations, informal gathering spaces and a learning lab featuring the latest technology for staff training.
• Central Gathering Space: Employees and visitors enter through a central glass atrium with a grand staircase, connecting all areas of the building.
• Wellness and Amenities: Staff can take advantage of an on-site café, coffee bar, fitness center, fitness and running trail, and expansive outdoor patio overlooking nature.
• Connection to Nature: The building’s form is influenced by its surroundings, from expansive glass walls providing forest views to the intentional use of tree cover along roads leading to the workplace.

To accommodate Consumers’ future growth, HOK designed the building to be built in three phases. It can be expanded up to 200,000-square-feet based if needed. Click here to view interior photos of the new space.

HOK is a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm. Through a network of 23 offices worldwide, HOK provides design excellence and innovation to create places that enrich people's lives and help clients succeed. DesignIntelligence consistently ranks HOK as a leader in sustainable, high-performance design and technology innovation.

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