Working closely with executive leadership to plan and execute the organization’s move into a newly-acquired office building in Lexington, Mass., Dyer Brown has designed a leading-edge workplace for MIT Federal Credit Union that reflects the institution’s tech-savvy yet approachable brand identity.

Led by director of workplace Ashley Dunn, AIA, a multidisciplinary design team re-programmed and renovated 25,000 square feet across three floors of the Lexington building located ten miles north of MIT’s main campus in Cambridge. The high-performing office hub features a warm and welcoming aesthetic with a clean, modern appearance and plentiful natural daylight, and finishes that connect the space thematically to the MIT community it serves.

The design celebrates a separate-yet-connected paradigm for the off-campus headquarters, both aesthetically and functionally. The finishes draw inspiration from both MIT’s and the credit union’s brand identities, creating a visual continuity with the Cambridge campus and strongly reinforcing the relationship between the two entities. To support the functional connection, the architects worked with consultants to integrate and upgrade data infrastructure, creating a secure line for the constant flow of data between the two locations. Virtual teller machines  maintain face-to-face connectivity.

Strategic choices for programming offer ease of navigation, primarily by organizing public-facing spaces  around an interconnecting stair atrium. The programming also simplifies future planning and expansion efforts: as neighboring tenants' leases end, the credit union will be able to easily expand without significant interruption to operations, eventually occupy the whole building adding areas for training and seminars, and for customer service.