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The history between Eglin Federal Credit Union and La Macchia Group spans several years and is rooted in deep trust and partnership. Starting in 2019, Eglin FCU sought our help to renovate the exterior of their existing six-story headquarters. Multiple projects later, as Eglin Federal Credit Union continued to prosper and grow in their Florida panhandle community, it became clear a new operations center was becoming a necessity.
A 5.24 acre lot was the chosen site for Eglin FCU’s new operations center, positioned thoughtfully with the commute of staff in mind. With 11 strategically placed branches, Eglin FCU felt it necessary to have a space dedicated to sustaining and growing their workforce. From collaborative work spaces to areas large enough for everyone to gather, Eglin FCU demonstrates their commitment to employee well-being, operational excellence, and dedication to their community of members.
Scalable Spaces
This new operations center is not only a functional workspace, but an innovation anchor for all staff. Modern amenities including a kitchen, comfortable seating areas, adaptive training rooms, conference rooms, and a large lunchroom dubbed “the hub” make up the ground floor. Technology can be found integrated throughout the whole building, but the large LED digital displays on the first floor are the showstoppers. These screens are used to highlight important company updates and achievements, all while serving as a representation of Eglin FCU’s forward-thinking plans for their institution.
The second, third, and fourth floor are laid out in a similar fashion from one to the next. This mirroring strategy allows for employees to feel more comfortable across departments, especially in such a vast building. Each floor contains necessary operational aspects like conference rooms, cubicles and office space, but also features extra amenities like wellness rooms and breakout spaces for one-on-one meetings or private calls. The floor to ceiling windows bring in abundant Florida sunlight and provide a bright and open environment, reducing stress and boosting productivity.
Designed for Collaboration
Each floor contains collaboration areas for teams to have open discussions. While some are smaller one-on-one rooms, the open spaces near the balcony on every floor feature furniture conducive to having large group discussions. With the installation of a “floating floor” on each level, flexibility to rearrange offices is easy. The steel raised flooring sits five inches above the concrete to allow for all electrical to be run beneath your feet, and can be lifted to provide access to the wiring. Private office spaces and conference rooms utilize demountable walls which allows for reconfiguration without heavy construction. It’s clear that Eglin FCU has future growth and team development in mind when opting for these flexible solutions.
A Chance to Reset
While planning an operations center build, it’s important to provide spaces for staff to relax, connect, and enjoy each other’s company. While The Hub has seating to accommodate over 100 people, taking a break outside is in a Floridian’s nature. When a break is needed, staff is encouraged to use one of the three balconies, the outdoor seating area in the plaza, or even take a walk on the roughly one-third-mile walking trail around the building and surrounding area.
Beyond The Building
Ample parking was necessary for Eglin Federal Credit Union. With a large number of employees, the teams decided it would be best to build a 4-story parking garage next to the operations center: 556 parking spaces, charging stations for electric vehicles, and 27 bike spaces for those who take the scenic route to work. And don’t worry if the inevitable Florida rain hits, a skywalk was built to make sure staff stays dry on their way in. This skywalk connects to the building on the second floor, walking into an indoor balcony overlooking The Hub.
