ST. LOUIS --- When Tom Auer, the senior vice president of architecture for NewGround, first met with a local contractor in December 2014, he did not imagine an $18 million headquarter project would be the result.
NewGround, a national design-build firm headquartered in St. Louis, noted that it often competes with local contractors for business in the financial building industry. “Although they work in similar circles, helping each another gain projects is a rarity,” the company said.
But that has changed with a project for the 116,000-member TTCU in Tulsa. No stranger to expanding, TTCU often called on its local contractor for its emerging branches. But as the current 40,000-square-foot headquarters breached multiple buildings, with offices being pushed into basement space, the contractor realized the credit union needed a company that specialized in headquarters.
“The local contractor knew his own capabilities, and cared for the company enough to know he was not the right fit,” Auer said. “It was very big of the team to do right by the credit union and find the right company for the job.”
Six months later, NewGround has partnered with TTCU in Tulsa, Okla. to help plan, design and build a 90,000 square-foot headquarters. TTCU signed with NewGround on May 29, and is breaking ground on a new 6.42 acres located in southeast Tulsa June 25.
NewGround has more than 100 years of headquarter-building experience, with five major headquarter projects currently underway.
“We want to help TTCU as well as any client by building something that reflects their personality,” said Auer. “We don’t want to force a solution. We want to listen and meet the needs of the company.”
For TTCU, it means prioritizing employee location by keeping them together in one building with open workstations for easy communication. The headquarters will also supply employees with a fitness center and encourage cycling on its nearby bike trail.
The six floors will connect with a large glass staircase, promoting employee interaction.
“The staircase will give employees the chance to meet and interact with people they may not normally see,” Auer said. “It’s important to think about the spaces where the conversations are not planned but are just as meaningful.”
The branch inside the current headquarters will remain on 31st Street. The new site located on 81st Street is expected to be completed December 2016.