VOA Associates, Inc. recently completed architecture, interior, and sustainable design for the Winter Park branch of First GREEN Bank. The Orlando office provided design services for bank owner to meet his goals. This is one of many boutique-type branches steadily growing across Central Florida. The new 6,360 square foot NetZero building, located on North Orlando Avenue, encourages green efforts through financial principles that reward sustainable practices. This project presented a unique opportunity to provide a client with a showcase bank that speaks to the community as a leader to educate and foster the importance and value of sustainable practices.
The design details the bank’s environmental efforts by providing informative signage while local artwork brightens the space with visions of stewardship and creativity. Customers, shareholders, and employees are surrounded by an abstracted story of growth, purpose, and commitment to “do the right thing for the environment and community. The walls are draped with bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource with a growth pattern that minimizes the impact on the environment. Terrazzo flooring composed of recycled glass, aggregates, and sand were used throughout the lobby space while carpet tiles for the conference room and administrative offices were selected based on their high recycled content. Trees from the original site were milled and installed as flooring and ceiling accents, forming a vital connection between the bank and the surrounding environment. Solar panels were installed as well as a charging station for electric vehicles, furthering impacting the reduction of the bank’s carbon footprint. The project was designed to achieve LEED Gold Certification.
Here is a link to VOA’s Website: http://www.voa.com