Designing a Community-Based Workplace for a Leading
Commercial Bank

Valley Bank is a rapidly growing regional financial institution with over $62 billion in assets and more than 200 consumer branches and commercial banking offices in communities across the U.S. In 2023, Valley Bank established a new built-to-suit headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey. Gensler partnered with SJP Properties and Valley Bank to help them envision both the base building and a community-driven workplace interior for Valley’s employees. Valley Bank’s U.S. Head of Workplace Solutions, Leslie Heifetz, and Design Project Manager, Tara Curran, sat down with Gensler Design Director Janine Intonato and Design Manager Janet Ristuccia to discuss the process of creating a community-based workplace in a downtown.

What led to Valley Bank’s decision-making process to select Morristown? How has this new location in a downtown transformed your ability to connect with the community?

Leslie Heifetz: Several factors influenced our decision-making. First, we looked for a location that shares Valley Bank’s commitment to community. As a community-oriented bank, one of our missions is to leave a lasting, positive impact on the world around us. Second, as we grow, we wanted to expand our presence in a thriving and growing location that was diverse and accessible for not only our clients, but for our associates, customers, and visitors. Finally, talent attraction and retention were a critical part of the decision. With our new location embedded in a downtown, we now have access to numerous amenities within walking distance that support the live, work, play lifestyle.

Tara Curran: I’ll add that Valley has a long history as a bank and now as we set our roots in a historically valuable area like Morristown, we’ll continue to grow and make this chapter part of Valley’s story.

This headquarters co-located many teams into a welcoming and collaborative space, which was distinctly different from your previous offices. What has been the response from employees about the workplace experience?

Leslie Heifetz: The response from our employees, as well as our visitors and customers, has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s a warm, welcoming, and collaborative space where people enjoy working. There are several areas our associates really enjoy, including the fourth-floor market, which has beautiful adjacent outdoor space.

Janine Intonato: We knew there was a strong desire for access to outdoor space and created an additional indoor-outdoor flexible event space on the 6th floor. A terrace features operable glass partitions, allowing for expansive views connecting to nature and overlooking the surrounding neighborhood.

Leslie Heifetz: We’ve made our conference rooms available to local nonprofits, including Table of Hope, which allows them to facilitate a tutoring and development program for 5th graders in a warm and welcoming environment.

Tara Curran: We didn’t design the conference rooms with this specific use in mind, but we’re so happy we can share our space with the community. It fits perfectly with our values and our mission. It’s wonderful to hear the excitement of children’s voices in the workplace as animated students pass by your desk.

Originally, the ground space was programmed to be a retail bank branch, but you’ve leased additional space on the first floor of the building for a nonprofit café, Ethan & the Bean. What led Valley to make the decision to create a community amenity?

Leslie Heifetz: Ethan & the Bean supports adults with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) with job readiness training, inspired by its founder, Pam Donovan, and her son, Ethan. Having a space for Ethan & the Bean in our headquarters has helped us realize our values of community support and inclusivity in a physical space and the café has become an extension of our workplace.

Janine Intonato: Gensler originally designed a barista bar on the fourth level of the headquarters, but the addition of Ethan & the Bean provides a creative strategy that speaks to Valley’s values as an organization by committing to the success of the communities it serves.

Would you recommend this strategy of community space to other organizations? What would you say to an organization that was considering a new office with this arrangement?

Leslie Heifetz: Do it! I think it’s a rewarding partnership for both us of us, honestly. We’re proud that we can bring awareness to an organization like Ethan & the Bean and also stay committed to our philanthropic vision in unique ways. we want our community goals to shine in everything we do.

Janet Ristuccia: It’s more than just coffee — it really is a social space. Ethan & the Bean has training sessions that support socialization and life skills for the IDD community. They have events like game nights, yoga, craft markets, and more.

Valley’s HQ was designed with centralized destinations built around interconnecting stairs to enhance community within the workplace. With unique styling and hospitality elements, how has the new HQ prioritized connection?

Janet Ristuccia: When the building conceptual planning determined a total of six stories, this presented the opportunity for two communicating stairways strategically placed to provide different areas for connection. We designed the areas around both stairs as social hubs where spontaneous and purposeful interactions happen.

Tara Curran: It’s certainly very easy to get your steps in! I think it’s improved the connection between various departments throughout the office. There’s a lot of movement — you’re not sitting at your desk all day. Gensler designed destinations at every level, so there’s a social hub and there’s always a space for interaction, whether it’s a tech bar, pantry, marketplace, etc.

How does the movement around the building impact your culture?

Leslie Heifetz: We came from a space that was large but wasn’t designed for this type of collaboration. Now, there is a lot of formal and informal gathering. Because there is more open collaboration space, people are highly visible, which leads to more interaction with our colleagues. We’re definitely seeing the headquarters impact our collaborative and community-focused culture in a transformative way.