Wings Financial | Banking Differently

Wings Financial Proves How a Banking Workplace Can Look, Feel and Function Differently.

In 2017, Wings Financial purchased a 120,000 square foot building and embarked on a journey to develop a corporate campus. Once expanding their campus with a 60,000 square foot building, they were able to begin the process of renovations on the original property.

Wings had already transitioned from high, divided workstations to a lower horizon. The individual workspaces maintained an overly generous station size and did not yet incorporate as many collaborative spaces it potentially needed. As their journey continued into 2019, a new vision was set for a sophisticated and employee-focused work environment. Advanced, collaborative & connected design, furniture and technology solutions emerged from the design team of Pope Architects, furniture & technology team of iSpace, and the Wings Financial leadership team.

Ideas about how the financial workplace could look, feel and function differently took flight. Tom Schuenke, VP of Administration & Facilities for Wings Financial, was challenged by concerns about noise and distractions of an open office environment. Working through options with all the project partners, views of the progressive environment shifted to the positive.

“We needed to unify a fractured group by removing walls, physically and metaphorically,” Schuenke shared, “but this first phase has truly demonstrated how workplace design has effected interdepartmental collaboration and efficiency.”

The focus on flexibility–and employee choice and control–ensured that all 85 dedicated workstations would allow for ergonomic adjustability with height adjustable desks, dual monitor arms and the user friendly Nuovo Contessa task chair from Teknion. Collaboration would now take place in the dedicated workstations or in a variety of styled and sized, open and enclosed meeting rooms. With 2.4 seats per person on the floor, work postures and options are substantial.

Technology upgrades assured that each enabled location operated similarly, minimizing training and troubleshooting setbacks. Utilizing AirMedia to share content wirelessly and Video-Over-IP solutions to link all shared televisions, the opportunity to connect throughout the workplace skyrocketed. Schuenke continues, “Everyone has laptops and the floor is fully Wi-Fi enabled. The environment fully supports their choice to work anywhere.”

The iSpace project team, led by Kathy Blake (Partner & furniture Account Executive) & Tim Stuhr (technology Account Manager), expressed their appreciation for the iSpace integrated project model.

“When the customer hires iSpace to provide furniture and technology solutions almost every aspect is streamlined. The communication & coordination is all handled in house,” shares Stuhr, “we manage so much behind the scenes and work together to mitigate the customers worry and risk.”

After visiting the project for the open house event Kathy Blake shared, “The best way for us to measure success is by the employee’s reaction to the space. We have never heard such amazing feedback or seen such excitement about a new environment.” “Their happiness and continued success will validate all of our hard work,” adds Stuhr.

As renovations continue (two more floors expected to be complete by the end of 2021) a heightened attention to the needs of the occupying departments, company culture and the health and safety of all employees will be at the forefront of all the decisions.