Portsmouth, NH – A new addition to The Provident Bank’s family, the sixth Provident Bank designed by TMS Architects, opened for business on November 9, 2010. The bank had been located in temporary quarters on the lower level of the Exeter Town Hall while their new bank was under construction. The bank features “People’s Hours” as it is open seven days a week for the convenience of its customers.
TMS Architects has been working with The Provident Bank since 2002 when the firm transformed an old Friendly’s Restaurant in Newburyport into a branch bank that evoked the area’s rich historic architectural heritage. The Provident Bank has always prided itself on its commitment to customer satisfaction; therefore it was important that the design solution be non-institutional in character with a residential feel.
In order to achieve this personal ambience, generous use of exterior and interior windows fill the interior spaces with abundant light and a consistent palette of white wood trim , bright colors and comfortable furnishings reinforce the residential character. The exterior is clearly influenced by New England architecture with details such as arbors, brackets, lattice, columns and shutters used as the basis for the architectural palette.
The bank was also able to take advantage of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly features such as recycled and renewable building materials, Energy Star-rated windows and highly efficient mechanical systems. In addition to TMS Architects, the design and construction team included Britton Construction of Newbury, MA., Scadd, Inc., Rye, NH and Jones & Beach Engineers of Stratham, NH.