Helix Architects + Design

Kansas City, Missouri

After the collapse of several major financial institutions set off the global recession in 2008, 'bank' became a dirty word. But the 121-year-old Kansas City'based Missouri Bank and Trust (MO Bank) has long operated counter to today's perception of 'banking,' emphasizing its relationship with its customers, who are largely small business owners. In 2008, MO Bank set out to update its offices, which 'really didn't represent the character of the bank anymore,' says Jay Tomlinson, founding principal of Kansas City'based Helix Architecture + Design. But the bank's public image wasn't MO Bank president Grant Burcham's sole concern: 'Redesigning became really important to our internal culture, too.'

To create a more inviting look and feel in each of three offices, Helix opened up floor plans to allow tellers and customers to interact with less formality and specified furnishings and finishes in MO Bank's signature shade of green. At the Brookside branch, which is located in a dense, urban section of Kansas City, Helix added a drive-through with transparent glazing that creates greater intimacy in what are usually grab-and-dash transactions.

Missouri Bank has seen quantifiable results: 'Our deposits were up nearly 10 percent last year alone,' Burcham reports. And customers like the new look so much that more of them, says Burcham, 'park and come in anyway.'

Architect:
Helix Architecture + Design
1629 Walnut St.
Kansas City, MO 64108
P: 816.300.0300
F: 816.300.0301

Completion Date:
February 2010 (Brookside); January 2009 (Crossroads, Downtown)

Gross square footage:
5,000 square feet (Brookside); 7,500 square feet (Crossroads); 15,300 square feet (Downtown)

Total construction cost: $340,000 (Brookside) $1.9 million (Crossroads); $1.4 million (Downtown)

People

Owner: Grant Burcham | Missouri Bank and Trust

Architect:
Helix Architecture + Design
1629 Walnut St.
Kansas City, MO 64108
P: 816.300.0300
F: 816.300.0301

Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit:
Jay Tomlinson, AIA – Principal in Charge
Bryan Gross, AIA – Project Manager
Kathy Kelly – Project Designer (not a registered architect)
Jacob Palan – Project Architect (not a registered architect)

Architect of record:
Helix Architecture + Design

General contractor: Haren Laughlin

Missouri Bank – Brookside

Interior designer:
Helix Architecture + Design

Collaborating Artist: Archie Scott Gobber

Collaborating Architect: El Dorado, Inc. (furniture design and fabrication)

Engineer(s):
Mechanical Engineer: Lankford and Associates

Electrical Engineer: Lankford and Associates

Photographer(s):
Aaron Dougherty
816.531.8604

Missouri Bank – Crossroads

Interior designer:
Helix Architecture + Design
Collaborating Artists: Adam Jones and Jesse Small
Collaborating Architect: El Dorado, Inc. (furniture design and fabrication)

Engineer(s):
Mechanical Engineer: Sys-Tek

Structural Engineer: Structural Engineering Associates

Electrical Engineer: Sys-Tek

Civil Engineer: Taliaferro & Browne

Geotechnical Engineer: Terracon

Consultant(s):
Other:
Materials testing: Terracon

Recycled materials sourcing: Adam Jones

Photographer(s):
Mike Sinclair Photographer
816.842.1499

Missouri Bank - Downtown

Interior designer:
Helix Architecture + Design
Mia Lechlitner

Engineer(s):
Mechanical Engineer: Sys-Tek

Structural Engineer: Structural Engineering Associates

Electrical Engineer: Sys-Tek

Consultant(s):
Lighting: Derek Porter Studio

Photographer(s):
Mike Sinclair Photographer
816.842.1499

 

Products

Missouri Bank – Brookside

Exterior cladding
Metal/glass curtain wall: Aluminum storefront: EFCO

Glazing
Glass: Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope

Doors
Wood doors: Wood doors: Eggers Industries;
Hollow metal door frames: Commercial Openings

Interior finishes
Acoustical ceilings: Acoustical ceiling tile: CertainTeed

Suspension grid: Acoustical ceiling grid: Chicago Metallic

Paints and stains: Kwal Paint

Floor and wall tile: Wall tile: Daltile

Carpet: Interface FLOR

Furnishings
Office furniture: El Dorado, Inc.

Chairs: Stools and chairs: Allsteel Inc.; Luxe chair

Love seat: American Leather

Missouri Bank – Crossroads

Exterior cladding
Precast concrete: Intec Construction Co.; Gerdau Ameristeel; Salvaged

Concrete parking bumpers refurbished for reuse: Haren Laughlin Construction; Concrete counter top aggregate: PIA Designs

Roofing
Other: Green Roof System: GreenGrid

Windows
Wood frame: Custom, Adam Jones

Glazing
Glass: Carter Glass; Insulated glass: ITI Glass

Skylights: SunGlo

Doors
Entrances: Custom, Adam Jones

Wood doors: Eggers Industries; Custom cypress wood doors and frames milled from material salvaged from Speas Vinegar holding tanks (staves), Kansas City, Mo.: Adam Jones

Sliding doors: Sliding freight door salvaged from building at 1229 Union
Street, Kansas City, Mo.: Adam Jones

Interior finishes
Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Cypress soffit and storefront trim milled from material salvaged from Speas Vinegar holding tanks (staves), Kansas City, Mo.: Adam Jones

Wall tile: Daltile

Raised flooring: Special interior finishes unique to this project: Pine wood flooring milled from material salvaged from a barn in Polo, Mo.: Adam Jones

Furnishings
Office furniture: El Dorado, Inc.

Missouri Bank - Downtown

Glazing
Glass: 1/2” Tempered Glass Railing System by C.R. Laurence

Interior finishes
Demountable partitions: Interior glazed wall system and doors by Dirtt

Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Walnut and Back Painted Glass, Painted MDF and Corian Countertop, by Square One Studio

Carpet: MFG: Bentley Prince Street, Style: Iconic Broadloom

Furnishings
Office furniture: Tuohy Workstations and Casegoods; Allsteel Task Chair; Vitra Conference Room Chair

Chairs:
Bright Lounge Chairs and Sofa

Lighting
Interior ambient lighting: Custom Light Fixture at Conference Room by Chris Ferguson