CBRE’s New Charlotte Office is Designed to Support Hybrid Workstyles and Employee Wellbeing

CBRE announced the opening of its new Charlotte office within Vantage South End, a mixed-use campus. Located at 1120 South Tryon Street in Charlotte, the 24,535-square-foot workplace occupies the second floor of the east tower. CBRE moved from 201 South College Street.

The new office is part of CBRE’s Workplace360 program, the company’s long-standing approach to workplace strategy for its corporate offices. The space showcases CBRE’s “Future of Work” space standards, including innovative technology and a wider variety of individual and collaborative spaces, designed to support hybrid working. CBRE launched its Workplace360 program in 2012 and has since opened more than 100 Workplace360 offices across the globe.

“Keeping hybrid work in mind, we envisioned a health-conscious sanctuary that magnetizes the office and delivers employee experience-focused services,” said Compie Newman, managing director of CBRE’s Charlotte office. “Vantage South End provides sought-after amenities, like convenient access to an urban park and outdoor terrace space that exemplifies a serene work environment.”

A cornerstone of the Workplace360 model is its “free address” approach in which desks and workstations are freely available for anyone to use. Employees can choose from 15 different individual, collaborative, and community work areas that support different workstyles. As many companies move to hybrid work models, a free address approach enhances space utilization as all workstations can be used by employees who are in the office on a given day, rather than sitting empty when a desk is assigned to someone who is working remotely for the day.

Employee wellbeing and biophilia—connecting employees to nature— are key elements of the office design. One example of this is the wellness lounge, referred to as “The Green House,” that features a petrified moss wall and various seating options including hanging chairs, abundant natural light, and healthy snacks. Technology within the Green House supports guided wellness education, meditation, or fitness classes. The room can be easily rearranged during the workday for its different uses.

“In our new offices, including Charlotte, we prioritize healthy building environments for our people by integrating nature and outdoor workspaces,” said Peter Van Emburgh, global head of CBRE’s corporate real estate. “We also place heavier emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion during the design process, ensuring we provide an accessible workplace with different furniture and varying enclosed space options that address and support neurodiversity and different abilities.”

CBRE will use anonymous occupancy sensors to measure employee behaviors in the office and inform future strategic real estate decisions for the company, such as space allocation for open verses enclosed workspaces and furniture solutions that appeal to employees.

The office is designed to balance a “modern heritage” concept, blending state-of-the-art technology with textures and materials that acknowledge Charlotte’s rich heritage. The employee’s collaborative, hardworking spirit is paired with nods to the local history through artful installations and placemaking creating team engagement spaces. The workspace features an employee curated polaroid wall to celebrate their teams and the culture of the city within an open collaboration area. Artwork and tapestry were also curated to support Charlotte artisans and provide regional representation.

CBRE Design Collective conceptualized and designed the office. CBRE’s Americas Consulting practice led the workplace strategy and change management.

The Vantage South End campus is 635,000 square feet consisting of two, 11-story office towers connected by more than an acre of outdoor greenspace. On-site amenities include outdoor terraces, a wellness and fitness center, a tenant event and training center, 55,000 square feet of restaurant space, and a boutique hotel. Additionally, Vantage South End offers proximity to Uptown and the Carson Station light rail station.