DESIGNWORKS 2022

EY wavespace

Charlotte , NC

Perkins + Will- Charlotte NC

EY located this innovation center in the popular South End neighborhood to differentiate it from their practice office in Uptown. The design team focused on creating a unique user experience for clients, prospective employees, and current employees by providing ultimate spatial flexibility and bringing a ‘wow’ factor through a signature ceiling design.

It was vital to integrate local history – the team met with local legends Harvey Gantt, Hugh McColl, and historian Tom Hanchett to discuss the history and redevelopment of South End. Their input informed the aesthetic language for the project: the ceiling baffles are a reference to the historic railroads, which helped establish Charlotte as a financial center. The ceiling draws clients from reception into the innovation center, providing a visual anchor for the space and flexibility below. The material palette borrows from raw, industrial materials, tying to the neighborhood’s legacy.

The plan is bifurcated into two main uses connected via reception: the innovation center and office. Clients are greeted at the central hospitality zone, once greeted, clients are led to large-group event zones where the clients begin their day and come together to discuss outcomes from breakout sessions, which occur in the adjacent open spaces. Nearly all furniture is mobile, allowing teams to organize the space based on different requirements including ideation sessions, presentations, or networking events.

The employee experience allows teams to select the work environment that best fosters ideation including a variety of open collaboration settings and a mix of enclosed meeting spaces.