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Commercial Lighting Case Studies
U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union (FCU) Project

U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union (FCU) Project

Designer

Alisha Tyler for NewGround

Lighting Specifier

Alisha Tyler for NewGround

Client

U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Date of Completion

Dec 17, 2020

Background

NewGround’s partnership with U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union (FCU) includes four previous designs. The high profile Albuquerque branch, constructed to replace an outdated existing branch, was conceived to introduce digital innovation to unique branch architecture and streamlined project management. The 3,408 square foot branch was intended to serve as a prototype for new Eagle FCU branches.

U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union prototype branch

Goal

“The design goal was to physically manifest our client’s brand, which is a stylized eagle, with a highly visible and instantly recognizable building that will serve as their new prototype branch,” NewGround designer Alisha Tyler explained, adding that the lobby has a 22-foot high curved ceiling designed to be “bright, open and lofty.”

Tyler and her team used surface-mounted cylinder lights to achieve these goals. The fixtures can be left on to highlight the lobby at night.

Factors

This commercial space was designed to include:

Bar where FCU members can use technology
Large-format video wall
Suspended eagle facsimile to accentuate the credit union brand

The waiting area would afford both comfort and further establish the branding. Design elements would create “unified branded space” and “set up the design framework for future branch projects.”

Challenge

NewGround’s Tyler reports that the “design of this building was ambitious and bold, but it actually came together quite quickly with very few changes from the initial concept. Our biggest design challenges were trying to mitigate the difficulties around the amount of glazing—glare on any interior screens, heat gain, shading, etc., but our team worked together to find solutions that were in support of the initial vision.”

A perennial lesson in proper lighting design is to invest plenty of time in planning. Inadequate planning can result in added costs and construction delays. Reflect on the architectural goals for your building and consider how lighting can further the design narrative, then trust your architect or lighting designer to care for the details.