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20 BCBUSINESS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 G&F Financial Group has reached an important milestone that will shape its working future, and it did so in the face of great odds. Working closely with Fusion Projects, G&F Financial Group went through extensive preparations in designing and building a flexible, open concept workplace that would showcase the future of banking—and then COVID happened. That is why successfully com- pleting the G&F Hub—four floors of a commercial office tower within the Kings Crossing by Cressey development—was an important victory. "As G&F Financial Group grew and opened new branches, we began looking for a new space that would house a flagship branch and allow us to bring our partner teams together," says Bill Kiss, Co-CEO. "Because retail banking has changed con- siderably, as we undertook the redesign, we also wanted to change the member and employee experience," says Jeff Shewfelt, Co-CEO. "For the new branch, that means going from a place built solely for financial transactions to a welcoming space that supports a specific type of interaction. G&F partnered with Fusion to ensure the proj- ect, located at 7300 Edmonds Street in Burnaby, became a flexible open-concept workplace designed to ensure interactions and collision points occur in day-to-day tasks, but measures are also in place to support privacy as required. "The meeting rooms have glass fronts so natural light comes through and you remain con- nected with the outside but have privacy," says Nicholas Boyd, principal and founder of Fusion Projects. There is ample space for collaboration, includ- ing a bookable community meeting room and shared workspace for visitors in G&F's Edmonds Branch on the first floor, and a mezzanine level, which the credit union has reserved for future partnerships. G&F employees work on the third and fourth floors. "We have so many sites and a lot of employ- ees, many of whom might see each other once a year," Shewfelt says. "We are bringing in employ- ees from branches across the Lower Mainland to attend training sessions and access a variety of technology." A kitchen and café area offers open space with natural light and a large patio where employees can enjoy breaks in the fresh air. "We moved several employees in during phase 3 of BC's Restart Plan, and they are feeling safe to work here with all the extra space we have," Kiss says. "As employees move into the new location, each person starts to relax and see how much they missed human interaction," Shewfelt says. The project was carried out successfully despite the challenges of COVID, and employees are learning how an open concept office can work for them and support their professional growth. ■ Learn more about G&F Financial Group at www.gffg.com/careers Learn more about Fusion Projects at www.fusion-projects.com G&F invests in its future at the G&F Hub, Burnaby ROOM TO MOVE C R E AT E D BY BCBusiness I N PA RT N E RS H I P W IT H G&F FINANCIAL GROUP