Carpenter & Company developed Charles Square, a mixed- use project adjacent to Harvard University, in the heart of Harvard Square. Charles Square is an 800,000 square- foot project that includes the 293 guest room Charles Hotel, as well as 86 residential units, 110,000 square- feet of office space, a retail component, and a below- ground 700 space parking garage.

The Charles Hotel, which blends the traditional charm of New England with the conveniences of a modern hotel, has become a local landmark, catering to the many academic, political and other luminaries who visit Harvard. The Charles is an independent full-service luxury hotel. In addition to its guestrooms, the Charles contains over 18,000 square feet of ballroom and meeting room space, two award-winning restaurants, a jazz club, a bar and, in winter months, an ice skating rink. The Charles is an enormously successful hotel that has consistently out-performed its competitors.

The site on which Charles Square is located was initially proposed as the location for the John F. Kennedy Library. After the community objected to the proposed location for the library, the state agency that owned the site made a request for proposals to develop the property for another use, and Carpenter was selected based on its sensitive and carefully-considered development plan for a mixed-use project that became Charles Square.