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
Contractors | Feb 6, 2015
Census Bureau: Capital spending by U.S. businesses increased 4.5%
Of the 19 industry sectors covered in the report, only one had a statistically significant year-to-year decrease in capital spending: the utilities sector.
Office Buildings | Feb 3, 2015
5 trends transforming workplace design
RTKL's workplace design expert Jodi Williams foresees healthier and more technologically enabled offices that allow productive worker interaction, wherever they happen to be.
Office Buildings | Feb 3, 2015
Bjarke Ingels' BIG proposes canopied, vertical village for Middle East media company
The tensile canopy shades a relaxation plaza from the desert sun.
Office Buildings | Feb 2, 2015
Study shows modern workers struggle to leave work at the office
Study findings indicate that more than half the respondents holds tight to their smartphones, checking and responding to email and taking phone calls, all or most of the time.
Office Buildings | Jan 28, 2015
Sustainability’s missed opportunity: small commercial buildings
The real opportunity for shrinking the nation’s energy footprint lies in the mundane world of small commercial buildings, writes BD+C's David Barista.
Office Buildings | Jan 27, 2015
London plans to build Foggo Associates' 'can of ham' building
The much delayed high-rise development at London’s 60-70 St. Mary Axe resembles a can of ham, and the project's architects are embracing the playful sobriquet.
Office Buildings | Jan 26, 2015
Seattle gets a peek at Amazon’s latest plans for its downtown complex
The online retailer is seeking permits to build on a fourth city block that would include 835,200 sf of office space.
| Jan 14, 2015
10 change management practices that can ease workplace moves
No matter the level of complexity, workplace change can be a challenge for your client's employees. VOA's Angie Lee breaks down the process of moving offices as efficiently as possible, from creating a "change team" to hosting hard-hat tours.
| Jan 13, 2015
SOM-designed Broadgate Exchange House wins Twenty-five Year Award
Exchange House, an elegant 10-story office building that spans over the merging tracks of London’s Liverpool Street Station, is located in London’s Broadgate Development.
| Jan 9, 2015
10 surprising lessons Perkins+Will has learned about workplace projects
P+W's Janice Barnes shares some of most unexpected lessons from her firm's work on office design projects, including the importance of post-occupancy evaluations and having a cohesive transition strategy for workers.