Workplace case study

RiverFall Credit Union

Headquarters | Design Build

the goals

Help a community credit union transform a prime downtown location in to a hub for business services and a center for employee excellence

Project Background

Downtown Tuscaloosa, Alabama was rapidly changing. With new prosperity, this university town enjoyed an expansion of its cultural and business community. RiverFall Credit Union, a longtime resident of downtown, was also growing. They needed more space to connect with members, and a building that helped convey their reputation for high value financial products and expertise.

The RiverFall Credit Union team partnered with Momentum to deliver the retail branch and workplace facility components of a complete transformation that also included a name change, re-energized brand, and revamped web and mobile delivery channels. These buildings had to help RiverFall connect both with their Tuscaloosa membership as a familiar financial partner and with the community at large, as a credit union now open for community membership through welcoming, inviting, and hospitable banking experiences.

"No one in the area has the facilities and layout that we have. If RiverFall can handle its portion as well as Momentum and Larson did their part, we'll do well," - Gregg Sassaman, Former CEO / RiverFall Credit Union

Familiar Faces in a Fresh Package

Momentum’s integrated planning and design process began with a clear target budget, and a mission to maximize RiverFall Credit Union’s use of their prime downtown real estate. The new headquarters needed to provide space for a growing employee team and additional member services, as well as an environment for community business and non-profit groups to come together.

A flexible collaboration space is now available for gatherings such as board meetings, chamber of commerce events, and staff training. It’s divisible in to smaller meeting rooms, can be opened to the staff lounge, and was even used to host the credit union’s annual Holiday dinner. Having agile spaces helps RiverFall get much more out of a smaller footprint.

The new headquarters was built around the credit union’s busiest branch. Ample member consult areas compliment an inviting member transaction zone where staff can now navigate more easily without physical barriers. The branch also incorporates a scalable video call center. From here, the credit union can service a new network of video enhanced ATMs and the traffic from several remote drive-up stations.

Momentum Moment

Momentum hosted the RiverFall team in Seattle for a two day intensive planning and design session.

This strategy helped each of the integrated team members be more focused on the requirements of a successful headquarters project, and greatly accelerated the conceptual design process. With quick and iterative budget, design, and scope feedback the team locked in on a common project vision.