Commonwealth | Graphic Design by Cooper Carry
Commonwealth | Charlotte, North Carolina
Graphic Design by Cooper Carry
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to tour Commonwealth in Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood neighborhood through an AIA-sponsored event. I was immediately impressed by the vision behind the development and the thoughtful design choices throughout the community.
Walking through the neighborhood brought me back to my years living in New York City, where walkability was such an important part of everyday life, something I appreciated but occasionally took for granted. Commonwealth captures some of that same energy, creating places that invite people to explore, connect, and spend time together.
When Cooper Carry reached out about photographing their graphic design work throughout the development, I was excited to return. The timeline was short, but it was an opportunity I didn't want to miss.
I met with Kevin from Cooper Carry to discuss the project and understand what the team wanted to highlight. From there, I returned for a site visit, studied how sunlight interacted with the different graphic elements, and planned the photography around the best available light.
During the shoot, a few friends and members of the Cooper Carry team joined us to help bring the design to life. Their presence added a human element to the photographs and helped illustrate how people experience the design as they move through the neighborhood.
This collection of 28 photographs captures the range of graphic design elements woven throughout Commonwealth, from the larger visual statements to the smaller details that contribute to the neighborhood's identity.
I was thrilled with how the images came together and equally pleased that Kevin and the Cooper Carry team shared that enthusiasm. It was a wonderful opportunity to document a project I had admired from my very first visit.
Project Credits
Project: Commonwealth | Plaza Midwood, Charlotte, NC
Experiential Graphic Design: Cooper Carry / 505Design
Architecture: BB+M Architecture, Axiom Architecture
Landscape Architecture & Master Planning: LandDesign
Signage Fabrication: SouthWood Corporation
Development: Crosland Southeast / Nuveen Real Estate
General Contractor: Choate Construction
Photography: Lange Photo Studio
Photography Commissioned By: Cooper Carry
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“We recently chose Paul to shoot a project for us in Charlotte, NC, and couldn’t be more pleased with the experience. From start to finish, Paul was incredibly professional, responsive, and easy to work with—even accommodating multiple rounds of edits without hesitation. He truly understood our vision and captured the space beautifully. The final photos are stunning and exceeded our expectations. We’re thrilled with the results and look forward to working with Paul again on future projects!
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“Working with Paul Lange on the photography for Gateway 737 was a pleasure. He was well-prepared and brought a calm professionalism to the two-day shoot. He went above and beyond to ensure we captured the best of the space. His attention to detail, creativity, and eye for composition truly shine through in the final images – they are exceptional. Beyond his technical skill, Paul was easy to work with and made the entire process enjoyable from start to finish. I highly recommend him.”