Wells Fargo wraps construction on uptown Charlotte tower project (PHOTOS)

Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) has transformed the top floors of its uptown Charlotte tower at 550 South Tryon. Roughly 62,000 square feet on the 46th through 48th floors is now set aside for employees to drive connections. The goal: enhanced productivity, collaboration and innovation, says Valerie Goble, Wells Fargo's executive director of design and construction. “We took executive space with some of the best views of the city and gave it back to employees,” Goble says. Those changes come after Wells Fargo moved approximately 6,000 employees into the building formerly anchored by Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK). The energy giant moved into its own new, South Tryon Street tower last year. Wells Fargo moved all uptown employees from One Wells Fargo Center and Two Wells Fargo Center into 550 South Tryon and Three Wells Fargo Center.

The new space is available for any employee of Wells Fargo, which currently has a hybrid workplace model. Employees are expected to be in the office at least three days a week.

Employee teams are assigned floors, but the top-floor spaces provide an opportunity to work outside that setting. “We want people to choose the best way to work for the task they have to do,” Goble says. “We believe it makes them productive and happier.”

The floors offer enhanced work hubs, with different seating iterations available. A neighborhood seating design allows employees to grab an open desk on a first-come, first-serve basis. Seating nooks include booths. Space in the library ensures no cameras and a quiet setting. The project studio can be reserved for larger groups and provides a collaborative atmosphere. Soundproof pods are available for phone calls or online meetings. There’s also a focus room for people who need to dial in on projects.

“There’s endless opportunities for you to choose what works best for you that day,” Goble says.

A social hub offers soft seating with curved leather couched, chairs and two-sided vapor fireplace.

There’s also a larger space dubbed the Forum that has a raised platform for town hall meetings or live events.

There’s a full-service paid coffee bar on the 46th floor, with Haerfest as the coffee supplier. Large format digital integrations will be added by the end of the year to allow for messaging, branding and biophilia. The in-house art department has been tapped to put a focus on artists with a regional tie.

The 47th and 48th floors are home to conference and multipurpose meeting rooms — nine of each. The largest configuration can accommodate roughly 150 people.

“There’s just a big demand for flexible space,” says Emily van Zyl, construction management manager. “I think they saw a need in the marketplace to have that amenity in our portfolio and not have to go out into other spaces.”

A portion of the 10th floor has been set aside for amenities and a gathering space. The green rooftop has been refreshed, with additional seating. There’s a micromarket with enhanced vending and a tech express support hub.

A employee-only food hall is slated to open on the first floor later this summer.

Barringer Construction was the general contractor on the project. Perkins + Will was the architect.

Putting capital expenditures toward revamped space drives productivity. That, in turn, helps Wells Fargo learn more about its customers and communities it serves and improve its offerings, Goble says. “It makes us more efficient as a company. It allows us to shed underutilized real estate.”

Wells Fargo announced plans to invest $500 million over five years into facility upgrades across the Charlotte region. It has launched renovations at its 2.1 million-square-foot Customer Information Center in Charlotte’s University City area that houses more than 10,000 of the bank’s roughly 27,000 Charlotte-area employees.

Earlier this year, Wells Fargo confirmed it was looking to unload additional real estate as it works to cut costs.

Original Article