CAMBRIDGE, MA — Cambridge Savings Bank (CSB), a full-service mutual bank with more than $5 billion in assets, announced that that its operations center located in Waltham, MA, is now the first building in New England to earn Platinum level certification by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI); the most prestigious designation given by the IWBI.
The WELL Building Standard (WELL) is a global benchmark for advancing and certifying health and well-being in buildings. The operations center also achieved LEED Platinum certification for Core and Shell by the U.S. Green Building Council in July 2020. CSB is the first financial institution to earn both designations.
Located at 81 Wyman Street in Waltham, the newly renovated, three-story, 76,000 square-foot office building houses 350 CSB employees, including its executive team and operations staff. A people-first organization, CSB is focused on creating and maintaining an environment that promotes social and emotional well-being of employees, team communication and collaboration, and culture-building and connectedness.
“We are excited to come back together in person when we are able to safely do so; there is a creative and collaborative energy in this environment that elevates diversity of thought and execution,” said Wayne Patenaude, President and CEO at CSB. “Earning WELL v2 pilot Platinum certification is a high honor, and I’m very thankful to all of our local partners for their hard work to design and outfit our offices into a place that the CSB team loves calling home.”
The Waltham operations center is designed by CSB client and Cambridge-based architecture, engineering, and interior design firm Symmes, Maini & McKee Associates, Inc. (SMMA). The entire project team behind CSB’s operations center renovations consisted of local firms, consistent with CSB’s ethos of supporting local communities. Contributing companies included:
- Adtech Systems (AV Solutions) – Outfitted the facility’s conference rooms and event space with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and sound masking systems to provide the technology needed for seamless team collaboration.
- Healthy Buildings (Performance Verification) – Consulted on best practices for providing a healthy building environment for CSB employees.
- Metro Sign & Awning (Commercial Signage) – Created custom exterior signage as well as fabrication and installation of interior graphics to reinforce CSB’s corporate identity.
- Union Office Interiors (Workplace Architecture) – Supplied and installed office furniture, workstations, collaboration areas, and moveable office partitions to create a comfortable workspace for employees.
- The Green Engineer (Sustainable Design) – Served as the WELL consultant to ensure the project team met IWBI qualifications and appropriate deadlines.
“Working with CSB is a designer’s dream,” said Sarah Sopelak, NCIDQ, WELL AP, LEED AP BD+C, Interior Designer, SMMA. “WELL v2 pilot Platinum certification is a huge achievement and represents the cultural values of our client, their forward thinking, and the responsibility they have demonstrated to their people and community at large. Environments like CSB’s new Waltham space prioritize the health, safety and well-being of their employees. In combination with providing these beautiful and highly functional spaces, it represents the future of workplace design and planning.”
Movement, Mind and Community were the three characteristics of 81 Wyman Street in which the CSB facility excelled and achieved high-performance scores from the IWBI. Key building concepts included a central staircase that is aesthetically designed with access to daylight, enhanced air quality and air filtration systems, a modern fitness center and yoga studio, restorative spaces for employees to take breaks and practice mindfulness, designated eating spaces featuring nutrition consultants, an outdoor patio located off the central stairway, and comfortable amenities for new mother support.
