By: Deborah Johnson Wood
The two-story glass wall of the new Lake Michigan Credit Union at Michigan and Prospect glistens in the morning, reflecting the images of workers in hard hats installing the glass panels. And while the structure could easily fit inside most of the new buildings on Health Hill, its sleek lines continue the eastward advance of the Hill’s collection of impressive contemporary architecture.
Flat glass panels set at precise angles give the wall a rounded appearance. Crews measured the wall opening after the structural steel was in place to determine the angles, and Superior Glass Company manufactured the glass to the specifications.
Combined, the glass panels and the silvery metal panels encasing the rest of the building make up some 40 percent of the building’s $1.3 million cost.
“It fits the unique look of other buildings in the area,” says Aaron Mead, project manager for Pioneer Construction. “Lott3Metz designed the building and integrated the metal and the rounded glass elements to give it the volume and the pop.”
From the air, the building is a football shape. Inside, a curved line of teller windows mirrors the curve of the glass wall, which is open to the ceiling of the second floor. Offices on the second floor overlook the main lobby and customer area.
“We were the Grand Rapids Teachers Credit Union, but we managed the healthcare credit unions at Saint Mary’s and Blodgett and they eventually merged into Lake Michigan Credit Union,” says Julie Blitchok, spokesperson for the credit union. “We wanted to continue that history of serving healthcare employees by having a location near the medical developments on Michigan Street.”
Construction will be completed in early June.
Source: Aaron Mead, Pioneer Construction; Julie Blitchok, Lake Michigan Credit Union
Photo by Brian Kelly
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Deborah Johnson Wood is the development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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