Northwest Savings Bank
Pittsburgh, PA

Size: 4,500 square feet

Services: Architecture, Interior Design

Northwest Savings Bank commissioned TDA to transform a newly leased space on the ground floor of the Henry W. Oliver Building to house their relocated Downtown branch and regional offices.

The existing space possessed a curvilinear character with flowing walls and a cornice that wound its way around the perimeter of the high main volume. The two story volume allowed for great potential in the expression of space, scale and lighting.

The challenge of a nearly one-hundred year old space with many undocumented lives made a tight schedule even more imposing. The inability to clearly define the limits of the space because of previous build-outs and the various surprises lurking under many layers of construction demanded spontaneous thinking and flexibility in design approach. These surprises coupled with a fluctuation in the programmatic needs of the client kept the project in a constant but subtle state of flux.

The client’s space consists of a somewhat typical mercantile banking front with regional management offices in the rear. In addition to the offices and the bank lobby, the space also contains a Safe Room in an actual vault from an original building tenant, support spaces such as a break room and file storage, as well a conference room in the regional office space. An existing mechanical space on a mezzanine level was re-utilized with new equipment.

Hinges between major areas are formed by perforations and various void spaces that house seating and waiting areas. This play of volumes, planes, and walls combines to link the separate programs while creating a pleasant space with depth, light, and complexity.