In 1993 the newly formed AKIBA Bank, then a subsidiary of East African Building Society, approached PLANNING with a major design challenge.  This decaying building with a listed front façade and with hostile sitting tenants occupying the ground floor required a Banking Hall and offices to be built at first and second floor levels.  The entire building operation had to be designed to have construction activities conducted through a gap at first floor level that was less than one meter wide and three meters long.  This was a formidable design challenge.  The renovated building was occupied early in 1996.