Visit Baltimore, I Wish I Worked Here

I Wish I Worked Here is a series full of drool-worthy workspaces that stimulate the mind and senses. We cannot peel our eyes away from these spaces! 

Welcome to the visionaries at Visit Baltimore. They are hell-bent on a mission to invest in Charm City and they are not letting go.  They are celebrating and supporting the people who put the CHARM in Charm City and doubling down on community building.

In these very precarious times we are helping our clients think about what re-entry may or may not look like. Will behaviors be modified? Yes. Will there be staggered work-shifts? Yes. Will hyper automation take over? Possibly. Will landlords invest in improving infrastructure? We hope so. Will all of this affect the real estate market? Of course.

Whatever the result of the “new” workplace may be, we recognize that the health, safety and welfare of our clients and their employees is top priority. This is something that we at The Verve Partnership are discussing regularly in our strategic workplace conversations. We don’t just design workspaces; we address how people, purpose and place strategically inform the experience and function of the workplace. When we engage with organizations and leaders who are doing amazing things only then, when we get the strategy right, do we create spaces that thrive and connect.

Visit Baltimore’s space does just that – thrives and connects.

If you take a look beyond the locally curated artwork and “campy” Baltimore-esque installations, you will see a place that is built to change the way people interact with the city and rediscover her charm. Inspiration from within the very walls at Visit Baltimore are changing hearts and minds about Charm City from the inside out. 

One taste of wonderment and excitement from the heart of Baltimore has us saying, “We Wish We Worked Here.”

Natives and residents of Baltimore know there is a lot to be excited about. There is electricity in the air and the streets are alive with it. History meets the arts in this growing, ever-changing city that we are here to witness.

Like any urban environment, Baltimore is not perfect. Baltimore’s reputation of violence and racial strife is a real obstacle. There have been economic ups and downs that adversely affect marginalized populations of Baltimoreans. What’s more, Baltimore can feel more “small potatoes” than her big sister counterparts, such as Philly, New York, and Boston. 

The key to smashing the stigmas about Baltimore is showcasing the way Charm City’s heart beats. 

Visit Baltimore is a major player in this effort. Together with city and community partners, they are attracting conferences, enchanting tourists, and bolstering hipster neighborhoods while protecting the history. This team of committed go-getters are putting Baltimore on the A-list.

When it came time to move into a new office, the management team did not take the design of the space lightly. “This is my home away from home,” they say. “I spend more time here than anywhere else. I want people to be comfortable.”  And comfortable they are! 

The functional user-focused interior design brings the heart and soul of this organization to life. Glide through the entrance, past Baltimore-based original art, marble steps, and brick walls; experience color, pattern, and texture — revive instantly with fresh excitement. 

The openness and the artsy feel speaks to the soul of Baltimore: eclectic, real, accessible. 

The Neighborhood Wall gets more attention than any other feature — a typographic montage of 247 neighborhoods. From Canton to Fells Point, people are always enthralled with the visual representation of the holistic community ecosystem. It sparks connected conversation every time and represents a sense of place that cuts across all class and stations. It’s a reflection of how neighborhoods should evolve and come together.

However, it is a wall of windows and balcony that capture the city and bring it inside.

Baltimore herself is the design star here.

“My mind has been re-opened to the beauty of Baltimore,” “We are ambassadors for Baltimore. This new space represents that.” 

Being in an open space in the middle of the city can be a real mindset shift for the people who work (and visit here). It is collaborative, energetic, and inspiring. There is a tangible feeling of being valued as an employee. 

What’s more, a look out any window puts you face to face with your best clients and guests: the tourists and residents walking the streets, interacting with the city… and each other.

Engaged staff “walk the mile,” traversing the perimeter of the space and interacting with executives, sales staff, administration-simply all departments. “It allows us to see everybody,” Deborah Ivory, Executive Assistant to the President and CEO tells us. 

The ease of maneuverability allows staff to relax and bond in the open social spaces. “It motivates us every day to cherish the uniqueness of Baltimore,” she says.

The interior architecture and design of Visit Baltimore gives staff (and their invited guests) a renewed sense of the significance of their mission and the people they are serving. 

The ideas that flow here will continue to shape the city. 

Nestled on the 10th floor overlooking the Inner Harbor and miles of urban landscape outfitted with mixed-use and modular spaces, Visit Baltimore has their team set up for successful collaboration and interactivity. Ease of use, access to people and places for success, all in the name of Charm City!

…. well, that’s got us saying, “We Wish We Worked Here.”