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DESIGNWORKS 2025
Adaptive Reuse + Historical Preservation – Winner
Gardner Skelton
Charlotte, NC
Little Diversified Architectural & Consulting, Inc. – Charlotte
Gardner Skelton’s headquarters is a groundbreaking adaptive reuse of a 1960s industrial shell in Charlotte’s NoDa district. The design team transformed the former chocolate factory, nightclub, church, and movie set into a vibrant, wellness-first legal workplace. The 20,000 SF woman-owned law office boldly redefines professional space with a zero-standard approach that prioritizes health, inclusivity, and creativity.
A standout design detail, “The Leash,” is a curved pink architectural motif that symbolically and physically connects the workplace. Starting at the entry, it weaves through flooring, walls, and ceilings, guiding visitors along a fluid pathway through murals, meeting zones, the indoor-outdoor café, and into the restorative garden. It represents the firm’s pet-friendly identity and serves as a narrative thread linking space and culture.
Every aspect of the office reflects the firm’s commitment to people and place. Exposed original trusses, preserved concrete, and daylight-infused interiors honor the past while infusing wellness with height-adjustable desks, biophilic elements, and flexible workspace design.
Art is a core storytelling tool with interior murals emerging from expressive arts workshops, while the exterior mural features real and fictional attorneys (from Elle Woods to RBG), including the founders, crowned to honor Charlotte as the Queen City.
The result is a warm, creative workplace that defies legal stereotypes. It not only catalyzes development within its transit-oriented district but also raises the standard for human-centered, adaptive reuse in the commercial interiors landscape.