CBRE announced the opening of its new state-of-the-art office at the mixed-use campus The Esplanade in Phoenix. The new office is part of CBRE’s global “Workplace360” initiative, the company’s leading-edge approach to workplace strategy designed to promote flexibility, mobility and productivity through technology-enabled, 100 percent free-address and paperless offices. The Phoenix office is CBRE’s largest Workplace360 office in the world, at 75,000 square feet.
In the free-address space, employees are no longer tethered to assigned desks or cubicles, but instead can choose from a variety of collaborative and private work settings that align with their changing needs throughout the day. Set up for plug-and-play, work stations are equipped with dual monitors and “follow-me” phones, and employees can adjust the height of the workstation to sit or stand with a touch of a button. The office is also outfitted with technology that allows employees to share and access files from home, a coffee shop or anywhere in the world.
“Our new Workplace360 office epitomizes the modern-day workplace and showcases our market-leading knowledge and understanding of workplace strategy and its role in driving employee and business performance,” said Craig Henig, senior managing director, Southwest Market Area and market leader for Arizona. “Workplace360 has proven to enhance collaboration and productivity in more than 50 offices around the world, helping us drive better outcomes for our clients and employees, and we are excited to bring the concept to Phoenix and demonstrate it to our clients and the broader business community.”
Guests, clients and employees enter the space in what’s known as The Heart, where they will be greeted by concierge staff. The high-tech common area features both a media wall and an immersive, multi-screen presentation tool called Liquid Galaxy, which allows the user to showcase 3D building models, panoramic interior photos, analytical data and mapping technology and provide street-level-view “walking tours” around a given location.
“Liquid Galaxy is an example of CBRE’s commitment to innovation and technology,” said Henig. “Like having a helicopter on standby, we’re able to take our clients anywhere in the world in just a few clicks.”
In the 18 months leading up to the move, employees were invited to join committees to help make decisions related to design elements, wellness, furniture, food vendors and artwork.
Adding a touch of local flair, the new space incorporates artwork from Phoenix-area talent, including painters Niki Woehler, Khristine Leatherman and Holly Anderson, mixed media artist Alan Bur Johnson and abstract photographer Johnny Kerr.
Health and wellness components of the office include sit/stand and treadmill desks, wellness rooms, healthy snacks, hydration stations, abundant natural light, interconnecting staircases between floors and health-conscious meal options provided by a local vendor in the RISE Café (named for CBRE’s values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence). Employees will be able to participate in regularly-scheduled fitness challenges, massage therapy and educational “lunch and learn” workshops throughout the year.
“From productivity and wellness, to engagement and recruitment, the workplace directly contributes to business results. Better business performance begins with better workplace performance, and at CBRE, we practice what we preach,” said Cicily Scharlach, program manager for the company’s Workplace360 initiative. “By driving greater collaboration and productivity, and improving our business agility, our newest Workplace360 office will be an environment where our employees will feel engaged and thrive.”
CBRE occupies the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of 2575 E. Camelback Road (Esplanade IV). The company’s in-house workplace strategy team led the implementation of the new space along with CBRE’s local in-house project management team, led by Susan LaGanke and Allyson Calvert, which oversaw the construction process.
