Largest private bank in Mexico commissions Callison for branch designs; firm will design three...

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 01, 1994--Design work has begun on three prototype banking systems for Bancomer, Mexico's largest private financial institution, it was announced by project architects, The Callison Partnership and ABARQ, S.A. de C.V., a Mexican architecture firm. Tentative plans

Established in 1932 and with headquarters in Mexico City, Bancomer became private in 1991 and now has more than 960 branches throughout Mexico. During the last three years, the institution has implemented a series of aggressive measures to shed many of the customer service problems which hallmarked its years of control by the Mexican government.

"For instance, a few years go it wasn't uncommon for customers to wait an hour in line for service at their local bank branches," explained Project Manager Chris Hamilton, who oversees the firm's bank work. "Now, customers rarely have to wait in line more than 10 minutes. Our goal is to continue this trend by helping Bancomer with designs which will further emphasize their commitment to customers."

During the first phase of the project, Callison will develop prototypes of three new store designs for Bancomer, based on the "spoke and hub" concept, according to Hamilton, who has also led Callison's work on branch designs for Bank of America and Banco de Chile.

The first prototype will be a 6,450-square-foot (600 square meters) full-service regional branch. Since lending institutions in Mexico are not restricted to specific services or products like American banks, these regional branches will provide a full range of services, including bonds, stocks and insurance. The large full-service branches will be supplemented by two smaller "mini-market" branches, which will offer limited service to the customers, such as basic checking and savings account transactions. These smaller branches, ranging in size from 650-1,290 square feet (60-120 square meters), will have a neighborhood focus and feel.

The Callison Partnership, based in Seattle, was founded in 1973 and is the fourth-largest architectural design firm in the United States. The firm's projects include retail, office, hospitality, entertainment, healthcare and mixed-use residential developments. With projects throughout the United States, China, Japan, Latin America and the Middle East, Callison's clients include: Nordstrom, Microsoft, Boeing, Eddie Bauer, Bank of China and JMB.

Callison formed its professional alliance with ABARQ earlier this year to provide services for architectural design, interior design and graphic design on projects being developed in the Republic of Mexico.

CONTACT: Eric LeMay, 206/623-4646