Waves lap at the sides of a massive ship powering through the currents of the Pacific. Nondescript, the containers stacked on the deck offer the viewer little in the way of their contents. However, one of these containers holds something unique, the pieces of the newly designed branch for Hawaii State Federal Credit Union all in one place, and ready for implementation.
Rendering of HSFCU Salt Lake Branch, Hawaii: Part 1
It was just over a year ago that this project took its first steps in Portsmouth, NH. Six members of Hawaii’s executive team traveled overseas to visit Element headquarters. They spent four days discussing the new strategy, work environment, as well as various ways to improve the member experience.
Out for Lobster in Perkins Cove, Ogunquit, ME.
Strategy Session
In addition to the meetings and discussions, the team at Element took their visitors to Boston to see the sights and tour multiple branch of the future locations.
Touring the sites!
Inspiration Source: The Capitol One Cafe
Over the next several months, the team from Hawaii and the team from Element worked their way through concepts, schematic design, and design development documentation. Since then, a variety of specialists have come together to bring this project to fruition. All of the millwork and materials were manufactured in a Phoenix location, then carefully packaged, crated, and shipped to Honolulu.
With minimal room to space, the boxes containing the branch were ready for departure.
Meanwhile, a vanilla box was created on location. This meant prepping the outside of the branch as well as creating a clean slate on the inside. Just prior to shipping, the teams reconvened in Phoenix, Arizona to review the millwork and catch up on the digital touch experience. Then, the branch was shipped to location in one large 40 container, separated by type in wooden units. This included the millwork, the ceiling tiles, flooring, lights, doors, digital, computers, and hardware.
Inspecting the millwork
Ultimately, this type of shipment allowed for a faster delivery, as all the moving parts are delivered together, a faster installation, and an immediate start to construction. It is a more sustainable, organized, and efficient option to the normal (and slow) process normally reserved in putting together a new branch.
Lunch in Phoenix
Hawaii State Federal Credit Union is the first credit union to make use of this unique service. Shipped out of Phoenix on May 6th, the transporters sent a complete photo gallery detailing the process and ensuring that instructions were followed to a T.
Renderings of HSFCU Salt Lake Branch, Hawaii: Part 2
What ended up being 28 packages and 24,125 pounds of weight, arrived safely in Honolulu approximately two months ago. The implementation team has been busy constructing the branch in preparation for the soft opening on July 29th, 2019.
To see more photos detailing the process, check out this gallery.
To see the finished product, head on over to Instagram where there will be photos of the completed branch, as well as of the opening itself!
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Written by Bryn Baldasaro for The Element Group.
