Letting “the light in“ at North Carolina Bank HQ

Investing in a work environment and creating spaces where employees feel valued can have a significant impact on staff morale and productivity. This idea guided the construction of First Carolina Bank’s 17,000 square foot headquarters in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Together with Falkbuilt by CBI and Digital Component Construction, they achieved a work environment that beautifully balances individual offices and collaboration areas – key factors in the bank’s growing success and robust corporate culture.

“Our team is very passionate about being together. We get a lot more done and have a fantastic culture because of it,” says Kristen Brabble, Chief Operating Officer at First Carolina.

The bank's leadership understood that providing employees with more than just cubicles was critical. Their vision was to create an environment where staff could enjoy privacy and the ability to focus but be close enough for dynamic interaction, which resulted in private offices with frameless glass fronts and pivot doors featuring simple brushed nickel hardware.

“We knew that we could do the traditional cubicles or hoteling stations, but we wanted our employees to have their own offices with doors that close. And the glass doors and walls let the light in.”

Creating spaces where teams could work together was also top of mind throughout the project. A bright boardroom for twenty-five has a mainly white palette, punctuated by pops of vibrant blue, and a mix of glass and solid walls with built-in glass shelving and integrated technology for a large screen television. A striking recessed ceiling panel feature with integrated lighting stretches the full length of the large boardroom table below, and bank-branded frosting provides some privacy while allowing light to permeate the space.

The team at Falkbuilt by CBI “were very responsive. If we had any concerns or questions, they got back to us right away and helped us understand how everything would work. They were very good at explaining that to us. It's one thing to see it and then another to try to understand how it's going to fit into the project,” Brabble recalls.

Falkbuilt's proprietary technology, Echo works with industry standard software to create an engineering accurate model in the cloud. Real-time visualization allowed the client to collaborate with Falkbuilt and make informed design decisions. Designer, Caroline Holland said,“walking the client through the 360-degree model was an effective way to demonstrate the final product and how things would look at completion.”

First Carolina’s subcontractors appreciated working with Falkbuilt, and there were no clashes between trades or issues during installation. “We have great relationships with our contractors and were able to have honest conversations with them. They loved the Falkbuilt products and had no problems with installing the wires or plumbing after the walls went up.”

At the heart of this project was the bank’s commitment to cultivating a corporate environment where employees feel valued. As businesses continue to adapt to changing work environments, this headquarters is a prime example of how the right space can foster a thriving culture of appreciation.