DESIGNWORKS 2020

SentryOne

Charlotte, NC

Gensler Charlotte

A vacant warehouse, hip neighborhood, cool culture and a lot of craft brew, made for the perfect elements for this tech company’s new home. Now with 250 employees, SentryOne moved from the suburbs to an emerging neighborhood in a warehouse district to better fit their brand, bring more visibility to their organization, and attract top tech talent. With elements of strength and fortitude, the space embodies SentryOne’s purpose: to monitor, diagnose, and optimize data systems.

The design team worked in collaboration with the developer to influence the exterior rehabilitation to enhance the interior views and circulation. Large windows were added to the perimeter to frame views to the outside. Raw materials such as concrete floors and ceilings, trusses and brick were left exposed in the space as a nod to the previous fiber warehouse it once was.

The form of the international database symbol inspired the extruded mass that creates the central stairwell connecting the mezzanine to the lower social cafe. This collaboration space is accented by the glass clerestory which floods the interior with natural light. Conference spaces that are reminiscent of shipping containers give ample meeting spaces above and below.

An adjacent annex space linked by a covered breezeway creates a high tech ‘lab’ space, an extension of SentryOne’s brand. The lab is comprised of a pub, open collaboration space, and a high-tech multi-purpose room with garage doors. Each of these elements combine to make for both maximum flexibility and an anchoring presence in the local community.