View Smart Windows is a high-quality product that is easy to work with. View delivered everything on time including the drawings, cabling and glass, and their field service and project management staff were dependable and responsive throughout the construction process 
- Jennifer Miglioratti

Director of Corporate Communications at LeChase

Tompkins Financial

Leading bank uses View to create welcoming headquarters while protecting sensitive information


  • Billion-dollar financial service company chooses View Smart Windows for its new headquarters
  • Created open and inviting space for bank employees to interact with customers
  • Dark tint setting used in some offices to prevent people from seeing sensitive information from outside the building
  • Location
    Ithaca, New York
  • General Contractor
    LeChase Construction
  • Architect
    HOLT Architects
  • Project Type
    New Construction
  • Project Specifications
    50,000 sq. ft.

The Tompkins Trust Company is one of the oldest banks in America. Founded in 1836, it has grown into a billion-dollar company. Tompkins Financial built a new seven story headquarters in its hometown, Ithaca NY, in order to consolidate its scattered offices. The building is designed with a focus on serving the community and enabling better collaboration among employees.

View Smart Windows makes the lobby and teller area feel open and inviting by getting rid of shades, so that customers can see in from the outside, and enjoy plentiful natural light when they are inside. Bank employees can focus on assisting and building trust with customers without being distracted by heat and glare.

One major issue in the design of the new headquarters was the almost-too-close adjacent hotel building, from which people could potentially look into the bank’s back offices. This worried Tompkins executives because of the sensitive financial information that could be compromised. Therefore, the windows facing the adjacent building are always kept tinted. This way private information is protected but the employees can still see outside.

We wanted the unofficial tone and perceptions in the community to be 'that building is where you want to work and that's the place where you want to be. 
- Greg Hartz

President & CEO at Tompkins Trust Company

With over 1,500 projects, HOLT Architects has worked on various developments since it was first established in 1963. With more than five decades of experience, the firm brings extensive capabilities with specialized in-depth knowledge.

Founded in 1944, LeChase Construction is a full-service construction management and general construction firm with more than 700 engaged employees. The firm is focused on building long term relationships by strategically partnering with other firms for different project needs.