Gresham Smith, a top-ranked architecture, engineering, and design firm with more than $290 million in annual gross revenue and 26 offices across the United States, has completed the design of its new Uptown Charlotte office which was fashioned to meet employees’ changing needs and workplace flexibility preferences.
Gresham Smith has had a presence in Charlotte since 2015. After outgrowing its existing space in Uptown’s Charlotte Plaza, the firm recently relocated to a new space occupying 13,100 square feet on the fifth floor of the new Legacy Union building. Designed to accommodate up to 90 employees, the space embraces a hybrid, free-address/unassigned workstation model, providing a diverse array of settings, catered to meet employees’ individual preferences.
As part of the firm’s design approach, Gresham Smith’s team of workplace designers surveyed employees to better understand how, and in what types of environments, they prefer to work. The flexible space features activity settings such as collaborative spaces, a variety of individual work areas, and “heads-down” quiet spaces. In addition, the office features a living wall that ensures a healthier workspace but also contributes to the overall sustainable design.
Additional design features include:
- Neighborhoods named after Charlotte parks with “active”, “traditional,” and “quiet” zones that enable effective, focused work when needed that allows for engaged teamwork when preferred.
- A variety of collaborative spaces including a mix of open and private meeting spaces.
- Experiential design elements such as interactive installations and exhibits to enhance both the employees’ and clients’ interactions and engagement.
- Shared design resource areas.
- A work cafe/hub amenity space.
“We are purposely providing a wide range of workspaces to facilitate the various types of collaboration that our employees and visitors desire when they come into the office,” Rodney Chester, CEO and board chair of Gresham Smith, said. “We believe that our growth potential in Charlotte is significant; therefore, we are also investing in more space than we currently need in order to accommodate that expected future growth.”
Gresham Smith specializes in providing architecture, engineering and interior design services for aviation, health care, industrial and life and work places clients in the Charlotte area. Local projects include the expansion and renovation of Charlotte-Douglas International Airport’s main terminal lobby, the design of Groninger USA, LLC’s American headquarters, and several projects at Novant Presbyterian and Mint Hill hospitals.
