Experience Principles

Create the “front Station campus yard” of a LoSo designed to foster communications

Over the years, America has become a “backyard” culture. Backyards are controlled — fenced, visible only to the neighbors, invitation-only. Front yards are different. When you hang out in the front yard, you give up some of that control — you don’t know who may walk by. You’re making an open invitation, and you show that you are up for whoever or whatever happens next.

While most apartment buildings invest in their “backyards” (pools and fitness rooms), NOVEL LoSo embraces a front-yard mentality. We will invest in a first-floor experience that isn’t just “not exclusionary,” but it is actually an invitation to the broader community around us to come hang.

To accomplish this, we will invest in first-floor amenities that are relevant for our residents but are also open to anyone. Charlotte’s signature dog park, an evolving ”play” area that might move from mini-golf to shuffleboard to four square over time, a broadly relevant retail program that will draw people to us, and an indoor-outdoor cafe/bar/coworking space with the longest table in Charlotte (a truly unique third place for the city) — these are all examples of how we can show the people around us that we want them to join us.

Across these spaces, we will invest in creating the kind of casual comfort that makes everyone feel at home — and lets people hang out long enough for the unexpected interactions inspired to happen. Shade, misters, abundant comfy seating and a mid-tempo energy level will help everyone be confident enough to spend extended time with us.

Importantly, LoSo Station is a hub that will attract employees, tourists, transit riders and other visitors. Our front-yard mindset will galvanize the rest of the LoSo Station campus to take a more open and inviting approach than comparable places. Public retail, bisecting walkways and first-floor glass will help create a permeable environment that inspires collisions and connections.