The Making of TEN30: Chapters 1-3

The outdoor amenity area provides employees with a space to work, rest, walk, or eat lunch while feeling connected to the surrounding natural area

creating a world-class corporate headquarters

By Nathan Daniel (Principal | Charlotte Office Leader)

Paul Koska (Associate Principal | Architect)

Philip Oliver (Associate Principal | Project Manager)

When LS3P began working with the initial client in February of 2020, the company was accustomed to fairly traditional office spaces, including a standard commercial floor plate with dense clusters of work stations and a building template that could work for any site. During the interview stage, however, LS3P and the client engaged in a “what if” conversation that began to turn the traditional workplace model on its head. Using 11” x 17” foam core models that the interviewers could move around as they explored and asked questions, LS3P presented a modern concept, one that nestled into and connected with its site. LS3P was hired quickly to spearhead the design, and the work began in earnest.

KNOWING WHEN TO PIVOT

The world changed rapidly between early February and late March of 2020 as teams transitioned to remote work.

On March 22, LS3P’s massing studies presentation for the client on March 22 became the firm’s first virtual presentation. The accelerated schedule never slowed, and the core and shell design was largely complete by May 1.

At this stage the building envelope was contracted from the schematic design documents, and design development continued apace.

ENVISIONING A WORKPLACE FOR THE MODERN ERA

In the ensuing months, as the design proceeded briskly, companies worldwide were navigating a foundational shift in how and where work gets done. The client’s leadership and internal stakeholders such as the Human Resources team began to explore what an engaged, energetic staff expects in a modern workplace. The campus is 10 miles outside of Charlotte’s Uptown/ South End core; if employees are commuting to the office, what should they find when they arrive that inspires innovation, supports collaboration, and creates an exciting culture? The team realized the importance of intentional incentivizes to draw people into the office as a means to build and sustain a vibrant company culture. The core and shell of the buildings was already set, but it was clear that a pivot was in order for the workplace concept inside.

BUILDING IN FLEXIBILITY

The design team shifted quickly, transforming the company’s traditional floor plate into a new concept with nests of neighborhoods and collaborative spaces. By re-orienting the design off-grid to create opportunities for chance interactions, creative collisions, active circulation, and collaboration, the team created a much more flexible work environment with a “living room” atmosphere. The spaces are cohesive, but look like they were designed by a different hand for variety. The new plan also reduces assigned seating by half, shifting from a “plugged in workstation” mindset to a “work anywhere on campus” mindset. The owners invested heavily in wireless technology and welldesigned outdoor workspaces so that employees can work from a seat in the central courtyard as seamlessly as at workstation inside. An array of campus amenities includes a food hall, top-ofthe-line fitness center, and onsite health clinic as well as greenways and outdoor workspaces.

EVOLVING WAYS OF WORKING

This workplace transformation wasn’t just physical. In designing spaces to draw people into the office and make it worth their while to be there, employers are readjusting the narrative on how employees work. The new paradigm combines both flexible work locations and in-office collaboration, and free address models which accommodate more people without impacting the quality of the workplace. Unassigned desking creates flexibility and fluidity over the course of the workday or over the course of a project; this flexibility extends all the way to the C-Suite.

In the face of fast-moving challenges, the entire team remained committed to “doing the right thing, not the easy thing.” The resulting campus marks a turning point in the nature of the workplace, laying the foundation for lasting benefits through innovation, inspiration, and collaboration.

IN DESIGNING SPACES TO DRAW PEOPLE INTO THE OFFICE AND MAKE IT WORTH THEIR WHILE TO BE THERE, EMPLOYERS ARE READJUSTING THE NARRATIVE ON HOW EMPLOYEES WORK.

A central atrium with cantilevered stair spans 9 stories, connecting the two wings of the building and providing atmospheric lighting through its skylight.

the compound effect of good design: rethinking the workplace for health & wellness

By Nathan Daniel (Principal | Charlotte Office Leader)

Paul Koska (Associate Principal | Architect)

Patrick Cooley (Associate | Emerging Professional)

When the TEN30 project kicked off in early 2020, the project plan did not include a global pandemic. The fastmoving global crisis, however, did not slow the project’s momentum.

In February of 2020, LS3P proposed a campus design strategy that would inform every decision to follow: to shift from the idea of a high-rise building on a leveled site that could be built anywhere, to a midrise design that would integrating with its forested site and weave the architecture into the environment. The client team embraced this direction, and in the ensuing months, this design decision created ripple effects supporting health, safety, and productivity, with profound positive impacts.

To describe COVID-19 as a “significant disruptor” is an understatement. The pandemic has humbled those who are most gifted at forecasting and predicting, and has shone a spotlight on systems that weren’t working. In overturning the status quo, however, the COVID-19 era has created opportunities for lasting change. The project laid the groundwork

for a monumental shift in the ways in which people work, and the result is a workplace focused on wellness, beauty, productivity, and community.

ROOTING THE CAMPUS IN NATURE

The initial strategy of harmonizing with the 80-acre site led to compounding benefits. Because the design was driven by what the building needed to be, not the constraints of a high-rise footprint, the design team focused on blurring the lines between indoors and out. The constant interplay of nature and architecture creates calming views and allows abundant natural light in the interiors. The strong connection to the environment spills out into outdoor workspaces designed for seamless transitions from indoor desks to outdoor meeting room or café tables. These workspaces are intentional and programmable, from defined meeting spaces in the central courtyard to a tiered amphitheater under a dramatic cantilever.

The fully wireless campus allows movement, freedom, and the flexibility to select the right work station for the

right task. These outdoor workspaces allow employees to take advantage of Charlotte’s mild climate during the workday, provide opportunities for informal interactions with people from other departments, reduce density in the interior spaces, and lower the risk of transmission for additional peace of mind. Access to nature is a key wellness benefit in any workplace; it is also vital for alleviating stress and allowing employees to self-select a workspace that works best for their needs.

RE-IMAGINING CIRCULATION

In a high-rise, one elevator core typically serves the entire building. In addition to constraining the floor plates, this configuration requires people to share small spaces in transit to their work location and adds anxiety to the workday. A midrise building, however, allows much greater flexibility. The building’s floor plate, influenced by the need to provide safer, more comfortable, more open circulation, has eight circulation cores including 16 escalators and three open stair zones. Employees can take a variety of routes to get anywhere in the building,

allowing autonomy and increasing the odds of chance “creative collisions” with colleagues that build connection and make the work day enjoyable. The appealing stairs encourage physical activity, and the escalators increase both lateral and vertical connections between floors without crisscrossing.

Beyond the perception of safety, which is important to easing stress, the investment in alternative methods of circulation reduces the density in any given space while adding beauty and movement to the interiors. Twelve additional escalators in the parking decks also help to streamline circulation and get people where they need to go, quickly and safely.

CREATING BREATHING ROOM

In a traditional office space, assigned workstations are laid out for maximum efficiency, and employees are often close together. Shared amenities such as coffee stations can quickly turn into pinch points, and close quarters are less than ideal during a pandemic (or the average flu season). The building’s

These outdoor workspaces allow employees to take advantage of Charlotte’s mild climate during the workday, provide opportunities for informal interactions with people from other departments, reduce density in the interior spaces, and lower the risk of transmission for additional peace of mind.

SCALE: 1/16” = 1’-0”

ENLARGED SOUTH FURNITURE PLAN

floor plate orients workstations offgrid, allowing a much greater variety of configurations. Workstations are arranged randomly or in pinwheels, so no two employees are directly facing each other at their desks. The freeaddress model also allows employees to self-select workstations based on the day’s tasks, allowing for flexibility to accommodate a range of space needs and comfort levels. With new construction, the team was able to advocate for 10’ ceiling heights; the spaces feel expansive and airy while allowing maximum adaptability over time. Exposed structure and open ceiling volumes make the workspaces feel brighter, more open, and better ventilated.

The design also incorporates a break room in every wing – two per floor –with prime forest views. The break rooms are specifically designed to allow ease of movement around double sets of appliances centered on large islands to minimize congestion. Break room seating is located away from the circulation, with options to be within

the space or on the fringes yet still connected to the activity.

The designated seating for the first phase of the campus is 1,800 people; however, the free-address strategy, fully wired campus, and abundance of dedicated outdoor work stations combine to create a multiplier of 1.6greatly expanding campus capacity and maintaining a comfortable density in the building.

RETHINKING THE PRIVATE OFFICE

The traditional workplace model used to be heavily weighted towards private offices. In exploring a new workplace dynamic focused on free-addressing, open workstations, and indoor/outdoor locations, the design nearly eliminates private offices on the Charlotte campus. Though a few assigned management zones and bullpens are still required, less than 10% of the office space in the new campus is assigned. Enclosed offices still exist, and employees can check into these when heads-down focus work or privacy is required; however, when

COLLABORATION

unclaimed for the day, these offices can be used as huddle rooms, shareable collaborative areas, or spaces to join a virtual meeting without disturbing others. Eliminating assigned private offices effectively increases meeting space on the campus tenfold at no additional cost.

Campus-wide technology tools make this system seamless and transparent; employees can check in at any location so their colleagues can see where people are working for the day. This amenity is a huge selling point for talented young tech employees who are accustomed to mobility and digital connections. The ability to dial into a meeting from anywhere on campus is further supported by the client’s investment in state-of-the-art technology and a fully wireless campus.

PROVIDING CREATURE COMFORTS

Beyond the ability to choose the right workplace for the right task, the owners also wanted employees to be able to feel as safe and as comfortable at the office as in their living rooms. An enticing array of furniture options can help employees create a place within the office where they feel productive, secure, and professional – and may represent a real upgrade from the couch or the Zoom background at home. The furniture selections offer options scaled to every employee, from couches to casual lounge areas to laptop zones. Not every employee has an ideal home workspace,

and the building’s productivity and collaboration zones feel as safe and as comfortable as a home office or a local coffee shop.

Food is another key attraction. The design upends the traditional corporate cafeteria with a multi-volume space – elevating the idea of a food hall –that serves as a gateway through the campus. All three sides are connected to nature and outdoor terraces, and the strategic location in a primary foot traffic zone tempts people to move through the atrium and food hall to the outdoors. Seven unique food offerings within the expansive space offer something for everyone, with multiple indoor and outdoor seating options so that people can select their level of distance, gather with colleagues, or linger at a patio table for focus work over a cup of coffee.

FOCUSING ON A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO WELLNESS

With its focus on medical insurance, the client was committed to designing for wellness in its work environment from the outset through WELL Certification for the entire campus. This decision required operational shifts like re-writing the employee handbook in addition to design considerations, but the resulting workplace will yield substantial benefits in terms of attracting, retaining, and caring for the top-tier talent that allows the company to thrive. The client also decided to invest in certifying the

entire campus, not just the building; the added levels of complexity which come with making sure everything from the guard houses to the mail room support campus wellness reflects the commitment to doing things the right way, not the easy way, at every turn.

Wellness is multifaceted, and encompasses physical health, mental health, and peace of mind. The design features and operational strategies that support these elements include everything from indoor air quality to the onsite early childhood development center so that parents can feel confident that their children are secure and close during the workday. Beauty, too, matters; two spectacular art installations anchor the campus and provide meditative focal points. One nine-story art piece in the atrium is based on an equation representing how leaves grow, appropriate to this “tree house” setting. The second is a kinetic sculpture that wraps the second-story café volume, representing subtle movement in nature. Both pieces celebrate nature-based themes in a way that will offer new perspectives through the life of the building, and provide opportunities for visual release and reflection within a busy workday.

DESIGNING FOR RESILIENCE

Navigating complex decisions about the future of work in an ever-changing environment has required open mindedness, trust, research, and continuous communication. Fortunately, from the beginning of the design process, one thing has remained clear: good design yields benefits that far outlast any particular era, event, or trend. In creating a flexible, adaptable, beautiful campus which is rooted in nature and focused on providing a stellar workplace for all employees, the client has created a place that will endure. The high ceilings, agile floor plates, and demountable walls can be easily reconfigured to reflect future growth or changes in use; furthermore, every inch of the building - because it is designed for wellness – makes its employees safer, more comfortable, and more productive. Every element of the design serves more than one purpose; the things that make it healthier also make it more beautiful, and the things that make it beautiful also make it more efficient and productive.

Good design with good intent is always a wise investment; the accumulating benefits of each smart decision amplify the overarching goal to create an employee-focused workplace campus supporting flexibility, wellness, and collaboration.

The design also incorporates a break room in every wing – two per floor – with prime forest views. The break rooms are specifically designed to allow ease of movement around double sets of appliances centered on large islands to minimize congestion. Break room seating is located away from the circulation, with options to be within the space or on the fringes yet still connected to the activity.

designing to adapt to nature

By Nathan Daniel (Principal | Charlotte Office Leader)

Paul Koska (Associate Principal | Architect)

Philip Oliver (Associate Principal | Project Manager)

This campus is, in a word, big. A million square feet of construction, in fact, on an 80-acre site. The original plan for the project was to replicate a basic design prototype with buildings sitting atop a leveled plane, but steeply sloped, heavily forested terrain offered more exciting possibilities. Working with the land instead of on top of it offered unparalleled opportunities to interact with the landscape and create a campus rooted in nature.

As early as the interview stage, the team engaged in deep discussions about how to conform the buildings to the land instead of conforming the land to the buildings. Integrating the buildings and site with the least possible impact became a key goal; the resulting design nestles the campus into the forest with buildings cascading down

the hillside. The incredibly complex three-dimensional footprint fits into the landscape with near surgical precision.

The commitment to working in harmony with the nature of the site extended into all decisions moving forward from the master plan: materials selection, interior design, work environments, and amenities. The materials were informed and inspired by the existing natural context of forest, rocks, streams, earth, and sky. The exterior materials palette was determined early in the core and shell design process, and the skin was designed around a gradation of transparency analogous to filtered light through a tree canopy. The filigreed skin features phenolic panels with a wood grain finish to resonate with the site, and the wood grain repeats on the curtain wall, soffits,

Bright and airy cafeteria with ample seating and areas for spontaneous collaboration.

and mullions. The exposed board-form concrete also carries a wood grain texture. The team selected the clearest glass available to maximize visual connection between the workspaces and the forest. Ultimately, the materials that form the building exterior are remarkably similar to the texture of the natural elements found onsite.

The interiors, likewise, were guided by the site, drawing from the concept of a tree house. The clustered workspaces are nests within a network of branches, serving as focal elements around which circulation flows. The movement through the space is fluid, with open escalators encouraging interaction and visual connection. Cantilevered meeting spaces perched at the corners offer expansive views of the forest beyond, preserved to the greatest extent possible to maintain the site’s ecology and habitat.

The commitment to forging authentic connections with the natural environment went hand in hand with the new ways of thinking about work that were emerging in tandem with the design. The completely wireless workplace- unusual for a campus of this size- provides maximum flexibility for its employees. The outdoor workspaces

scattered throughout the campus, including three large, landscaped terraces, function the same way as the workstations inside. The investment in technology and design coordination helps to further blur the lines between indoors and outdoors, allowing employees myriad options for work locations throughout the day.

The design of the vast site also drew from the existing natural elements: three intermittent creeks, vegetation, trees, and rocks. Preserving trees was a key priority, but the site provided plenty of opportunities to interact with the environment. A campus greenway with three “mobility hubs” encourages activity and provides a place for employees to recharge. Water elements throughout the site provide visual interest and calming interludes in the site circulation.

The campus design inverts the traditional corporate office paradigm, too often notable for a sense of “placeless space,” into a campus that grows from its environment. Buildings and landscape take equal precedence, working in harmony to deliver a unique workplace with a wellness-oriented culture. The campus is inseparable from its site, and the site is woven through every design.

“WORKING WITH THE LAND INSTEAD OF ON TOP OF IT OFFERED UNPARALLELED OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERACT WITH THE LANDSCAPE AND CREATE A CAMPUS ROOTED IN NATURE.”