desigNYC completes renovation of LESPFCU in Alphabet City; Design team: Bernheimer Archtecture and d/b/a

desigNYC has completed the renovation and refurbishing of the lobby and work spaces of the Lower East Side People's Federal Credit Union (LESPFCU) located in Alphabet City at 37 Avenue B. The collaborative team of designers from Bernheimer Architecture and d/b/A design-build transformed the outdated bank facility into a welcoming place for members of the LESPFCU and created a more efficient space for their staff of 21. The new design made its official debut to the members of the credit union on June 15th at their annual meeting. LESPFCU joins the 15 plus desigNYC projects to be completed and implemented since the organization was founded in 2009. Housed in an early 20th century former bank building that has undergone multiple, albeit haphazard, modernizations (the last was 15 years ago) the credit union is a member-owned, not-for-profit institution that provides an alternative to traditional banking and serves its community by reinvesting in it. To that end, they wanted a well-designed renovation to retain some of the space's historic features and the welcoming character its members appreciate. In essence, they wanted a place that their members and staff can be proud of. "We wanted to bring a modern aesthetic to our space but not a sterile one. We did not want to lose the homey feeling of the building that's important to our members, the warmth of the original wood wainscoting, the patina, and the murals painted by one of our members and installed since the mid-80s. The design team worked closely with us to accomplish that balance beautifully," said Linda Levy, CEO of the LESPFCU. For this project, desigNYC slightly changed the formula of its matching process. Instead of matching a single architectural firm interested in donating their time and talent on a pro bono basis, with one non-profit in need of their expertise, desigNYC selected two firms, Bernheimer Architecture and d/b/A design-build, to collaborate. "What makes this partnership with the LES People's FCU exceptional and successful is that we identified two architectural firms that provided complementary skill sets," said Laetitia Wolff, executive director of desigNYC. "Bernheimer Architecture brought a strong conceptual vision to the renovation of the lobby, while d/b/A design-build took it to a fast-track implementation phase, jumping the lengthy hurdles of working with a contractor. They brought a hands-on approach to construction, devising cost-effective solutions, including innovative custom lighting developed in collaboration with Sylvania and Bartco. Such multi-level collaboration enables desigNYC to achieve a greater impact for client projects." The renovation incorporates several architectural elements that create a dynamic new look, while making functional improvements in terms of organization, circulation, privacy, and lighting. A new greeter-desk at the entrance to the lobby acts as "information central" where a receptionist can assist members and provide various brochures while custom built-in benches provide a comfortable place to sit and wait. Corian Partition for Back Office The focal point of the new design is a partition made of Corian that provides security and privacy for the back-office area. The partition is slightly transparent and emblazoned with a laser-cut of the credit union's logo. The cut-outs allows for the flutter of movement to be visible from the lobby area and vice-versa. And, to create a unifying effect, a new plane of custom-made bent metal shrouds painted in the credit union's brand colors, were designed to generate a dynamic and illuminated surface that encases state-of-the-art lighting fixtures and makes the space look more spacious. "Often smaller non-profit and community-based projects are challenged to achieve high quality design aesthetics due to limited budgets, logistical and bureaucratic hurdles, and fall prey to dreaded 'value engineering' in their implementation," said Steve Hoffman, co-founder of d/b/A design-build. "I think we made a strong case that the design-build scenario is a better way to complete these projects. In addition, desigNYC was a helpful partner, providing support for finding in-kind donations and other outreach, and their desire to see this project executed was catalyzing." "We are proud of the result, and LESPFCU certainly is a deserving client. We hope the community enjoys their new (but still familiar) space," said Andrew Bernheimer, AIA, principal of Bernheimer Architecture. The overarching mission was something we felt strongly about so dedication to the project was palpable. Bouncing ideas off each other and having d/b/A design-build weigh in on the implications for construction was valuable. It allowed us all to think about opportunities for design on a budget, as opposed to having to design then get a reality check and then having to re-think once reality set in. In this case reality checking was an ongoing, parallel operation so once the client gave us feedback we could develop ideas with confidence in the ability to execute." The LESPCU has served a mostly Hispanic, and elderly, low-income community. Alphabet City and the Lower East Side have gone through a major gentrification process and the lobby renovation reflects the diversification of its core membership. We think this is meaningful at a time when alternative banking services find wider support in post-Occupy Wall Street New York. desigNYC looks forward to supporting other affordable, democratic, community-focused service organizations, by leveraging design for the greater good of those whose (financial and other) rights are often challenged," said Wolff. FACT SHEET The Lower East Side People's Federal Credit Union, 37 Avenue B @ East 3rd St. project scope: 1,468 s/f, including 434 s/f of work space, 386 s/f of teller space, and a 648 s/f lobby Bernheimer Architecture: Andrew Bernheimer, principal Maxwell Worrell, senior architect Alexandra Burr, junior architect http://bernheimerarchitecture.com d/b/A designbuild: Steve Hoffman, principal Christopher Marcoux, principal Allysa Taylor, project intern http://dba-designbuild.com/ desigNYC advisors: Richard Vitto, OCV Architect and Laetitia Wolff, desigNYC In-kind contributions: lighting by Osram Sylvania, www.sylvania.com lighting ballast by BartCo http://www.bartcolighting.com/ file cabinets by Steelcase office desk by Teknion