To accommodate the influx of new members from Sandia Laboratories and other Albuquerque area technology firms, Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union needed to add a branch office to its existing three. Bounded by the Sandia Mountains to the east, Kirtland Air Force base to the south and the Sandia Indian Reservation to the north, Sandia asked KDA to guide them to the right location and the best growth opportunity.

Sandia’s growth strategy centered on two key requisites. First, Sandia wanted enough extra space factored into its facility design to remain flexible for projected expansion, while allowing that dormant space to serve as a revenue source in the interim. Second, to attract more tech-savvy area professionals as members, Sandia knew it would need a modern, retail-oriented facility design featuring the latest technology.

So that Sandia could maximize its design and budget, KDA designed the facility symmetrically so that one section with its own entry could be leased to another tenant, but reclaimed for future expansion. Then KDA gave that design exactly what Sandia envisioned: an open two-story lobby, back-lit signage for retail display, sun/heat resistant windows, an oversized greeting desk, mobile modular teller stations, and an up-to-date atmosphere.

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