Just a few short months ago, REI was preparing to move into its new headquarters building in Bellevue, Wash.
The facility, which focused on blending inside space with outdoors space, featured courtyards, bridges, open park space, large operable windows and garage doors, and reclaimed wood all meant to promote a healthy lifestyle for employees.
But now, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, REI Co-op has decided to sell its new, unused headquarters to Facebook for $390 million as the company shifts to a more distributed work model. The future “headquarters” will no longer be in a single location, instead spanning multiple satellite locations across the region as the company leans into remote working as a more engrained, supported, and normalized model for headquarters employees, according to a release from the company.
Both REI and Facebook will also donate 1$ million to the Eastrail, a 42-mile trail that the co-op was helping to develop over the last four years. The trail will connect the communities and businesses of King County’s Eastside through access to transit alternatives, employee hubs, and green space.
The build team for the HQ included NBBJ (architect), GGN (landscape architect), KPFF (structural engineer), and JMJ (civil engineer).
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Jun 17, 2015
Daniel Libeskind unveils 'talking towers' design for Rome development
The scheme will drastically change the Eternal City’s skyline: three angular towers that look like they’re “in conversation with one another.”
Office Buildings | Jun 12, 2015
Houston's energy sector keeps office construction humming
Colliers International projects continued expansion this year in its quarterly report on national office market.
Office Buildings | Jun 11, 2015
Pop-up tree-office opens in London borough of Hackney
London's Hackney borough welcomed a new kind of workspace to Hoxton Square—the TreexOffice.
Modular Building | Jun 10, 2015
London debuts business complex made from 50 shipping containers
London's newest business complex, Pop Brixton, will support local entrepreneurs, create jobs, and is made entirely of shipping containers.
Office Buildings | Jun 9, 2015
Bjarke Ingels unveils stepped design for final WTC tower
The towering "staircase" will rise from St. Paul’s chapel to the skyline, leaning against One World Trade Center.
Office Buildings | Jun 9, 2015
Hines planning $300 million office tower for Denver skyline
Designed by Pickard Chilton, the 640,000-sf tower is geared for large-scale tenants, with features like floor-to-ceiling glass, a 5,000-sf fitness center, a tenant lounge, and a series of outdoor terraces.
Office Buildings | Jun 3, 2015
Tech's influence on the workplace: 4 lessons from the field
Beyond space and programmatic considerations, four tenets highlight today’s tech workplaces: strength of story, design empathy, technology presence, and hackerspace.
Office Buildings | Jun 1, 2015
SHoP Architects unveils dual-glass-box scheme for Uber HQ
The plan involves two glass buildings connected with criss-crossing bridges.
Office Buildings | Jun 1, 2015
Can you make a new building as cool as a warehouse?
Just as we looked at that boarded up warehouse and thought it could be something other, office towers can be reborn, writes CannonDesign's Robert Benson.
Multifamily Housing | May 28, 2015
Census Bureau: 10 U.S. cities now have one million people or more
California and Texas each have three of the one-million-plus cities.