CBRE

A preeminent provider of real estate services, CBRE’s new workplace in Boston supports a shift away from a competitive environment toward one that breaks down internal business silos and fosters connections within and across markets/service lines. Elkus Manfredi’s design draws on the principles of urban planning to create multimodal workspaces that deliver a balance of individual and collaborative, open and private, and formal and informal spaces.

A central communal space, The Heart is a two-level space grounded by a wide wooden stair at centre of the workplace. The Heart leads to The Rise, which physically and metaphorically connects employees working on the two floors and doubles as a gathering place. Throughout the office, strong sightlines create visual connectivity without compromising confidentiality. Materials, finishes, and design elements special to Boston set this office apart, notably the recurring motif of angled lines that evokes the Zakim Bridge, a Boston landmark.