No Small Feat:
An Architect’s Approach to Supporting Bank Facility Down-Sizing By CVG Architects
A
report by McKinsey & Company states that bank branch sizes have been on the decline since the mid-2000s. As experts in facility design for the financial services sector, Charles Vincent George (CVG) Architects’ direct experience over the last two decades confirms this evolution of the banking industry and forces the question: How can design architects best respond to the trend of the shrinking branch-bank footprint” while still meeting owner goals and accommodating programmatic needs? As a point of reference, in the mid-1990s, CVG Architects’ work with Elgin State Bank involved planning and designing a 30,000-square-foot branch on a four-acre site with seven drive-up teller lanes. By the early 2000s, the average branch bank size, as evidenced through our work with First National Bank of Naperville and others, was still rather large at around 20,000 square feet. Today, forwardthinking financial services organizations with active development programs are setting the trend by developing new micro-branches or sub-dividing
larger banking facilities to be between 1,200 and 4,000 square feet with few or no drive-thru lanes (dependent upon site capacity). Although branch footprints have shrunk, the services provided within these facilities are largely the same – with a stronger emphasis on the customer experience, branding, and smart technology. Advances in technology are also allowing banks to deliver the same services with fewer on-site personnel, supporting overall reductions in branch size, while also helping to keep real estate investment down.
Building on Tradition
The process begins with a thoughtful programming and planning effort that is facilitated by an open dialogue between client and architect. While best practices, prototypes, design standards, and brand adherence are always part of the conversation, our approach seeks to translate these traditional guidelines into customized design solutions that directly respond to the requirements of the specific financial institution and the unique expectations of their customers. Understanding the principles of traditional, large, bank design is imperative to being able to effectively consolidate large banks into micro-branches that offer both compliant and creative solutions.
January-February 2021 •
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