FNBO at
Colorado State
University
Prioritizing authenticity, impact and effectiveness, FNBO sought to represent its commitment to community and the customer experience with a prominent branch location in the Colorado State University student union.
Since the branch was relocating to a more condensed space, materiality was given a figural presence to mediate between scale and occupation, while preserving the existing bank program. The novel tactile and spatial experience invites and evokes habitation. A columnar formation holds a busy corner; where a glass wall slides away, blurring the edge of public space. Reinterpreting the traditional bank typology, the new forum is akin to the openness of the town square. Articulating the objectives of authenticity and warmth, CNC milled plywood was explored for its ability to aestheticize the methods of construction. Material investigations revealed ways to accommodate seating, shelving and transactions. Utilizing butcher block construction, the grain undulates and folds like strata, appearing sculpted by its environment.