First Financial Credit Union- Albuquerque

First Financial Credit Union was chartered in 1937 and has grown from serving ten members of a local telephone company to serving the employees of over 200 companies, as well as members of the community at large. With a heavy emphasis on providing personal and caring service, FFCU sought the help of La Macchia Group to remodel and refresh not only their Albuquerque branch, but also build two other locations.

When First Financial Credit Union approached La Macchia Group about this project, they knew shutting down the branch for this renovation was not an option. This may have posed an issue for many firms, but La Macchia Group's teams are well-versed in "phased" renovations. Completed in two phases, phase 1 consisted of the main building renovations, while phase 2 focused on the drive-thru.

One of the most important aspects of phase I was the relocation of the entrance. It was necessary to move the entrance from the front of the building to be adjacent to the member parking area. A marquee feature was added above the new entrance indicating the door's location, as it was nondescript in the previous exterior layout. Not only does this relocation provide a cleaner look to the front of the building, it was also a low-cost way to add convince for members.

The desire to move away from traditional teller lines is becoming more prominent across financial institutions. Teller pods replaced the teller line in FFCU's new space, in an effort to create a more intimate space for transactions to be completed and relationships to be build between staff and members.

First Financial Credit Union has a very strong brand presence that deserves to be on display in their branch. The team achieved this with graphic wall elements found throughout the space, branded case work and TI (ITM) enclosures. The First Financial brand was even carried into the furniture selections, with brand colors and sharp angles mimicking their New Mexico shaped logo. 

This project with First Financial Credit Union was extremely impactful, and the teams are already implementing aspects from this renovation into the build of two additional new branches.