International Headquarters
Our Unique Building
Our many operations around the world coordinate with our Corporate Headquarters in Federal Way, WA. Built in 1971, our Corporate Headquarters
building was made to blend with its surroundings and enhance the Northwest character of the 500-acre site and has received awards for architectural
design, environmental design, interior space planning, and energy conservation. The building and grounds are host to:
- An ivy-planted rooftop terraces that link the 354,000-square foot, five story facility at either end with the natural landscape that surrounds
it.
- 400 glass panels, creating the largest set of nonsash window walls in the world.
- Interior wood paneling made by a Weyerhaeuser plant from teak-finished American white oak.
- More than 1,000 large-scale interior plants, representing 40+ species, which along with their aesthetic beauty, help break up sound waves
and provide privacy.
- A 10-acre lake fed by Hylebos Creek.
- An American flag that flies from a 120-foot, 9,400-pound Douglas-fir flagpole crafted at a Weyerhaeuser plant.
- A beautiful art collection.
- The Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection.
- The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.
- Miles of walking and running paths open to the public.
Built With Energy Conservation in Mind
In addition to the fabulous interior and exterior amenities, the building was also designed with energy conservation in mind. By capturing
and storing energy from a variety of sources, the building reduces the amount of external energy required for its operation. A few of the
building’s unique energy conservation highlights include:
- An innovative heat-reclamation system recovers heat through the operation of special heat-recovery chillers that supply both chilled water
for cooling and hot water for heating the building.
- A water storage system collects any excess heat generated during the day by the building and its occupants. In turn, the collected energy
is used to warm the building the following morning.
- A gas-fired boiler plant provides supplemental heat during cold weather.
- Ivy planted on the building’s terraces minimizes the building's solar heat gain in the summer and maximizes it in the winter.
- For more information about the building’s energy efficiencies, click here
to read a reprint of an article originally published in the February 15, 1973, issue of Electric Heat (Barks Publications, Inc., Chicago,
Ill).
Green Globes Certified
We are immensely proud that, in 2011, our Corporate Headquarters building was certified as achieving three Green Globes by the Green Building Initiative. A rating of three Green Globes (out
of a possible four) designates the building as "demonstrating leadership in energy and environmentally efficient buildings and a commitment
to continual improvement." This recognition highlights the innovative design and eco-efficient features that were incorporated into the
building when it was constructed over 40 years ago, as well as the commitment to continual improvement of its operation and maintenance.
Learn more about our headquarters location, including driving directions to our campus.
