State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Granite Quarry branch office

The State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) is a not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members. Because SECU serves state employees, its locations are considered both financial and government facilities. Accuracy, clarity and privacy are essential expectations of banking and financial service providers. Thoughtfully designing spaces with high-performance acoustic ceiling systems can enhance these valuable attributes as well as foster staff productivity and satisfaction, and create less stressful environments for clients and more welcoming facilities for the community.

As SECU’s architect of record, Summit Design and Engineering Services has designed new construction and renovations for at least 45 branch offices. For eight locations, including the new Granite Quarry branch office, Summit selected and specified Rockfon’s high-performance acoustic stone wool and metal ceiling panels for the interiors, durable metal ceilings for the exteriors, and suspension ceiling systems for both.

Providing consistent quality across multiple applications, Rockfon’s complete ceiling solution creates a contemporary and comfortable financial service facility for SECU’s staff and member clients. Ceiling panels with a Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) of 0.90 or higher are categorized as the best performance for decreasing reverberation and echoes and increasing speech intelligibility in a room. Quiet spaces also allow staff to better concentrate on focused tasks and conversations, improving accuracy and clarity. Reducing distractions and unwanted noise also lessens physiological responses to stress, supporting healthier spaces and contributing to the well-being of both employees and clients.

SECU’s Granite Quarry branch office features two interior ceiling systems from Rockfon, acoustic stone wool ceiling panels and perforated, linear metal panels with white Acoutex™ backing. Both systems achieve up to a 0.90 NRC and match the credit union’s welcoming, contemporary design, creating a comfortable space for staff and members that promotes speech intelligibility during financial transactions.

The white ceiling panels in the branch office present a clean, neat appearance. They also function as reflective surfaces for carrying the daylight more deeply into the interior. Respectful of the state government’s funds, this makes more effective use of natural light and more efficient use of electricity.

On the exterior, above the main entrance to SECU’s Granite Quarry branch office, Rockfon’s solid, linear metal panels finished in a bronze color present an elegant and approachable first impression as well as durability and resiliency. Sheltering drive-up visitors, the canopy above the outdoor service area incorporates Rockfon metal panels finished in a silver color that reflects the ambient light keeping the drive-through area bright and inviting.

"The design team shared that the existing ceiling specification consisted of solid metal, linear ceiling panels with a 0.70 NRC on the interior and a vinyl-coated gypsum on the exterior canopy in the drive-through bays. The staff had complained about their previous offices being too noisy inside. Also, some of the older drive-through’s canopies were starting to show signs of aging and possible deterioration. We knew that Rockfon could improve the appearance, performance and durability," shared Kelly Frame, Rockfon's Architectural & District Sales Manager, "Rather than feeling like you have to shout in a noisy lobby, you can now have a conversation speaking at a normal volume. The credit union’s staff loves having products that work and appreciates the result."