Irene Vogelsong, Managing Principal & SE Regional Workplace Practice Leader, Perkins&Will

In an interview with Invest:, Irene Vogelsong, managing principal and Southeast regional workplace practice leader at Perkins&Will, highlighted how Charlotte’s growth and civic ambition are reshaping workplace design across the Southeast. “We’re designing spaces where collaboration and connection happen naturally—places that bring people together and make the office a cultural hub, not simply somewhere to get work done,” Vogelsong said.

What shifts in client expectations or business strategies have impacted how you approach design in Charlotte and the Southeast?

We were discussing this recently on a firm-wide workplace strategy call focused on the Southeast. Companies everywhere are rethinking the role of the office, but the shift is especially visible in Charlotte and other fast-growing Southeast markets, where business expansion and relocations are driving new workplace needs.

With companies like Truist and Wells Fargo moving toward five-day workweeks, our clients are asking a more urgent question: If people are spending more time in the office, how do we make that time genuinely valuable?

That starts with looking closely at how space is used. It is no longer enough to provide rows of desks and meeting rooms. People need a range of settings.

The central question is: What can people do together in the office that is harder to do from home? For many, the greatest value is being able to connect with colleagues. But that only works when the right people, spaces, and resources are available at the same time.

When employees come in and find their teams scattered or unavailable, the office loses its purpose. Thoughtful planning can create greater visibility, make collaboration easier, and help people stay connected to the broader mission behind their work.

The goal is not to position the office as better than working from home. It is to make its value clear. A strong workplace supports the work that benefits from being done together, strengthens relationships, and gives employees a greater sense of connection to their organization.

It also has to remain flexible. Attendance patterns, team structures, and business priorities will continue to evolve, so we are designing spaces that can adapt while supporting employee well-being, responsible resource use, and long-term organizational goals.

What makes Charlotte a strategic location for Perkins&Will’s workplace practice? What makes this region thrive compared to others?

Charlotte brings together several advantages: a strong talent pipeline, continued infrastructure investment, and a growing cultural and sports presence. Local universities give employers access to a broad base of skilled workers.

The economy is also increasingly diverse, with strength in finance, healthcare, technology, consumer goods, and manufacturing. The city also has a clear sense of ambition. Investments such as the Spectrum Center renovation and the Pearl Innovation District reflect a broader effort to attract talent, strengthen public-private partnerships, and compete as a national destination.

Charlotte also offers lower operating costs than many larger markets. Its economy has expanded well beyond its traditional roots in textiles and banking, creating a more varied and resilient business environment.

That growth is influencing workplace design. Clients here are open to hybrid models, stronger connections between workplaces and their surrounding communities, and more ambitious sustainability goals. There is a willingness to test new ideas, but with a clear focus on long-term value.

What specific environments are in strong demand today, and how are they helping companies meet goals around culture, productivity, and retention?

Clients are asking more thoughtful questions about what the workplace is meant to accomplish and how it can support better performance. Engagement matters, but people do not all work, learn, or collaborate in the same way. The workplace has to account for those differences.

We are creating flexible, technology-enabled environments that reflect a company’s values and give employees more choice in how they work. Amenities also play an important role, not simply as perks, but as places that support well-being, encourage connection, and strengthen ties to the surrounding community.

Adaptability is equally important. Business needs, team structures, and technology are changing too quickly for spaces to remain fixed. Workplaces designed around permanent layouts can become outdated long before the end of their useful life.

The goal is to create environments that can evolve while making it easier for people to connect, collaborate, and feel part of something larger. When the workplace supports both individual needs and a shared culture, it becomes more than a place to complete tasks. It becomes a meaningful part of how an organization works.

How are clients in your region prioritizing inclusive design and ESG goals, and what role do those elements play in workplace outcomes?

ESG and sustainability are embedded in the way we design. We consistently evaluate how each project can reduce energy and water use, improve access to daylight and views, and use materials and resources more responsibly. These are not optional features or isolated conversations; they are fundamental design considerations from the start.

That approach also supports healthier workplaces. We look at well-being holistically, considering physical comfort as well as mental and emotional health. Access to daylight, views, and thoughtfully designed spaces can have a meaningful effect on how people experience the workplace each day.

We also help clients make more informed choices about products and vendors. That means looking at where materials come from, how they are made, and whether the people producing them are treated fairly. 

These priorities shape our design decisions throughout the process, from early planning and space allocation to material selection and implementation. 

Perkins&Will is expanding its advisory capabilities. How is that influencing your Charlotte office, and what value are you offering clients beyond traditional design?

Expanding our advisory services has been a real advantage because it allows us to get involved earlier and stay engaged longer. We are not just coming in once the design direction is already set. We can help clients define the problem, understand their priorities, and make more informed decisions from the beginning.

That work includes workplace strategy, sustainability planning, and long-term real estate planning. For a healthcare system or corporate campus, for example, we might help develop a five-year plan that looks at growth, space use, capital investment, and changing operational needs. The focus is not simply on fitting more people into a space. It is about helping clients decide where to invest and how their real estate can better support the organization.

We also look at how workplace decisions connect to broader business goals. That might mean understanding how departments interact, where operational challenges exist, or what needs to change for a new workplace strategy to succeed.

Change management is a big part of that. A new space often comes with new expectations, behaviors, and technologies, so we help clients prepare their employees for that transition rather than waiting until move-in to explain what is changing.

The same is true for branded environments. We are not just adding graphics or signage at the end of a project. We help clients define what their brand stands for and then express those values through language, identity, and the experience of the space itself.

We are also doing more with digital and data strategy. By looking at how space is used, how teams work, and where patterns are shifting, we can help clients make better planning decisions and create environments that continue to respond as their needs change.

What are your top priorities for the workplace practice over the next two to three years?

For us, growth is not just about adding services. It is about helping clients make better decisions as their organizations and communities change. Over the next few years, one of our biggest priorities is using AI and data to compare options, test assumptions, and identify issues earlier in the design process. That gives us more room to experiment before decisions become expensive or difficult to change.

All of our practice areas, including workplace, are informed by a culture-driven approach. We begin by understanding the people, values, history, and behaviors that shape an organization or community, and then use those insights to guide the design.

That is especially important in our cultural work across North Carolina. Those projects depend on listening closely to local institutions, residents, and stakeholders so the spaces reflect the identity of the communities they serve rather than telling a story that could belong anywhere.

The same thinking applies to workplace design. We help clients move beyond broad return-to-office policies and consider what those policies mean for their culture in practice. A three-day hybrid model, for example, raises questions about team coordination, space use, technology, and the kinds of work people need to do together. The workplace should respond to those realities while reinforcing how the organization wants people to connect, collaborate, and experience its culture.

Inclusivity, community connection, and social responsibility are part of that approach from the beginning. They influence who is involved in the process, how decisions are made, and how the final environment serves both the organization and the people around it.

What is your general outlook for Charlotte’s future?

I’m optimistic about Charlotte’s future, but I don’t think we can take its growth for granted. The city’s population has increased by more than 10 percent since 2020, and regional job and capital-investment announcements in the first quarter of 2026 were nearly double the previous year’s level. That suggests the momentum is real, not simply anecdotal. 

The real test will be how well Charlotte manages that momentum. Rapid growth places pressure on transportation, housing, and public infrastructure. The voter-approved mobility program—projected to direct more than $25 billion toward roads, rail, buses, and microtransit over 30 years—creates a significant opportunity to address those pressures. But implementation will matter, as will making sure that people throughout the city can participate in and benefit from the growth. Housing affordability, in particular, will need sustained attention. 

Charlotte’s economic base is also becoming broader. Finance remains an anchor, but growth in healthcare, research, manufacturing, and corporate services is making the region more resilient. Just as important, new residents are bringing different experiences and perspectives to the city. The opportunity is not simply for Charlotte to become larger, but to develop a stronger and more distinctive civic and cultural identity. For Perkins&Will, that means staying closely engaged with how the city is changing and designing in ways that respond to its people, institutions, and neighborhoods. Across our practice areas, including workplace, we are interested in how design can support a more connected, inclusive, and resilient Charlotte while still reflecting the character that makes the city distinct.