Club Mentality
Switchyards is redefining the future of where, and how, we work
by andrew huang
You and I, along with a majority of adults between 21 and 65, spend a lot of time thinking about work.
Doing work, avoiding work, finding work, going to work, leaving work, working early, working late, balancing work and life—the list goes on.
Brandon Hinman and Jared Erickson are no different. But as the creative director and head of design, respectively, of Switchyards, these two are thinking about work in a very different way. They’re thinking about the future of work.
To be fair, thinking about this stuff is their job. Switchyards is “the world’s first neighborhood work club,” and Hinman and Erickson are central to defining what that looks and feels like—not to mention the role it plays in people’s lives.
Switchyards’ founder Michael Tavani (standing center) and creative director Brandon Hinman (seated center) lead the team who obsesses over the brand and experience across all clubs; (top) Nashville’s first club in Eastwood is in a former neighborhood church.
Consider the statement, “I’m going to work.” We’ve all said this at some point, conflating “work” for both the thing we are doing and the location where we do it. But the rise of remote and hybrid work—accelerated by the pandemic—has helped decouple those associations. “Work is no longer just a place you go,” Hinman says. “It’s something you do.” That is especially true of white-collar knowledge workers. This naturally leads to the question: If you don’t have to be at work to work, where do you go?
Coffee shops, libraries, and other third spaces are one answer. Specialized co-working spaces like WeWork and Industrious are another. But with Switchyards, Hinman and Erickson are exploring something a little more nuanced, combining the productivity-focused amenities of co-working with the appeal of coffee shops. “We’re not just providing tables, chairs, and Wi-Fi. We’re crafting environments where people genuinely want to spend time,” says Hinman.
Founded by Atlanta-based CEO Michael Tavani in 2016, Switchyards is now in 12 Atlanta neighborhoods, with 20 total clubs. Its first Nashville location opened in 2023, and Switchyards recently debuted its fourth club there. There are now two locations in Charlotte; an Asheville location that opened in September; and the club will come to Greenville in late October. Switchyards plans to open 200 clubs across the country over the next five years.
Their secret sauce is grounded in the company’s neighborhood approach. The Switchyards team intentionally looks for spaces that fit into the rhythms of an area as residents go about their day. That may mean a vacant church, warehouse, or mechanic’s shop deep in a neighborhood. The space’s history then becomes a core part of how a Switchyards location comes to life. “We really use the building, the structure, and what it used to be as our inspiration,” says Erickson.
“if someone says our space feels like it’s been here forever, that’s the ultimate compliment.”
Instead of a shiny new space, Hinman and Erickson preserve and enhance the original charm of the buildings. They source furniture and objects to match the location, scouring auctions and Facebook Marketplace, as well as the inventories of vintage dealers. “If someone says our space feels like it’s been here forever, that’s the ultimate compliment,” says Hinman.
On top of the unique décor, Hinman and Erickson prioritize the working experience. That means distinct zones within each Switchyards location suited for various types of work: café areas for working near others, meeting rooms and phone booths for conferencing, and quiet library areas for deep focus.
Switchyards, which is open 24/7, has work clubs across Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, and now Asheville and Greenville, with more locations planned. Each club’s design is as unique as the neighborhood it calls home.
Hinman notes the importance of creating spaces that don’t feel exposed: “A lot of times, you want to have your back up against the wall. Those are the seats that will be taken first.” Erickson continues: “We always talk about how we can ‘nookify’ spaces, how we can create little nooks that allow you to feel like you’re around people, but not totally exposed. We also think a lot about when you’re looking up from your laptop. Are you just seeing a white wall, or are you seeing something inspiring?”
In other words, Switchyards is cultivating the intersection between a new remote work era and downright good vibes. “Our clubs are like microcosms of the neighborhoods they’re in,” says Erickson. “We’re not just offering a place to work. We’re creating a space where people can connect and collaborate.”
The future of work is just that: an indistinct notion that’s shifting and evolving even as we stumble towards it. There are no rules for this future (yet), but that means there’s fertile space for exploration. Tavani, Hinman, Erickson, and the Switchyards team are outlining a future where the places we work fit the rhythm of our lives.
Photography courtesy of Switchyards; this story appears in our Fall 2024 issue.