CBRE Opens New Tech Flagship Office in Kitchener-Waterloo
CBRE has expanded its Canadian presence with a new office in Kitchener-Waterloo.
This new office is part of the Los Angeles-based real estate services and investment firm’s Canadian Workplace Transformation program. It is a national project that looks to reimagine its Canadian workplaces to become some of the healthiest and most futuristic office environments in the country.
The new office is located at 72 Victoria Street South and represents the ninth CBRE office in Canada to be transformed in the last two years. This new space will be CBRE’s flagship technology space, sitting right in one of the hotbed cities for Canadian technology. The brick-and-beam location is kitty-corner to Kitchener-Waterloo’s tech hub Communitech and a short drive to the University of Waterloo.
“Our newly completed Kitchener-Waterloo office is one of the most entrepreneurial and progressive working environments in the region,” said Mark Renzoni, CEO of CBRE Canada. “Our location in the heart of Kitchener’s innovation district represents our commitment to the region as one of Canada’s major engines of innovation.”
In order to be a flagship tech space, the new CBRE location includes some cutting-edge improvements like cloud-based file storage solutions and a digitization program that reduces paper use by 85 per cent, allowing employees to work seamlessly while away from their desk.
As part of the CBRE’s Canadian Workplace Transformation program, the office also boasts several wellness features. Universal access to natural light, ergonomic desks for sitting or standing, white-noise generating machines to reduce background sounds, and more allow the space to benefit employees and create an environment to show off to potential CBRE clients.
“We advise leading organizations across the globe on how to gain an advantage from their real estate so, for us, this space is all about practicing what we preach,” said Mark Renzoni, CEO of CBRE Canada. “It’s our real-world case study on the quality of workplace we can create for our clients across a variety of building types. Whether it’s within a newly built office development, or ‘brick and beam’ space, we have been able to deliver world-class workplaces for our professionals.”
Kitchener-Waterloo makes sense for CBRE’s next expansion in Canada, considering the region is Canada’s fastest growing market for technology talent. Nearby Toronto is the fastest growing tech market in North America, so the new location will be able to leverage what the city has to offer as well.
“We have learned a lot from this vibrant tech region and I believe we have captured its essence within our new Kitchener-Waterloo office. The unique aspects of this space truly set it apart yet maintain the consistent high-quality client experience that we are delivering across all of our newly transformed offices,” said Peter Whatmore, executive managing director of CBRE in Southwestern Ontario.
“Not only was it important for us to showcase our market leadership with our new space, it was critical that it provided an environment that inspired and motivated our teams. I am happy to say we have accomplished both feats,” he added.
Combine the access to the University of Waterloo and its leading research labs with nearby outposts of Vidyard, Shopify, Kik and more, and CBRE’s ninth office may be one of its most fruitful.
