A standard of innovation the new HQ.

• Author: Stewart, Heather

The economy is improving nationally and companies are growing. Particularly in some hot spots, like Silicon Valley, New York City, Research Triangle in North Carolina, Seattle and Salt Lake City, tech companies are expanding at such a great clip that competition for employees has become unusually fierce.

The two trends--increasing revenue and increasing head counts-- have converged to unleash a demand for unique, brand-defining corporate headquarter buildings. Companies outgrowing their current spaces are looking to develop headquarter buildings and campuses that can help brand their culture.

Especially in the tech sector, the effort to attract and retain skilled workers has become ultra-competitive, with each company vying to offer more and better amenities. The corporate headquarters has become an embodiment of that trend, with companies designing workspaces that cater to their employees' comfort and appeal to them with ever more amenities.

"The highest priority among c-level executives right now is employee recruitment and retention. In an increasingly strong labor market with record-low unemployment, it has become all the more important for employers to develop dynamic cultures within their company," says Brandon Fugal, chairman of CBC Advisors. "Sometimes the only thing they have to offer that is a differentiator is their culture and a unique workplace environment."

MAKING A STATEMENT

Creating that unique culture and environment starts with the architecture of the building itself. Thriving tech companies are not interested in run-of-the-mill office towers.

Probably the best example of that is the new headquarters building under construction for online retailer Overstock.com. "They're building what is going to be one of the most unique corporate headquarters in the region," says Fugal.

Overstock.com labeled its new building the "Peace Coliseum." That's because the three-story building is round and looks vaguely like the Roman Coliseum from the outside. The company heightened the coliseum effect with design elements like-punched windows and concrete walls. But from the air, its hub-and-spoke layout was designed to look like the peace sign.

The two ideas may seem incongruous, but Meghan Tuohig, vice president of campus care and design at Overstock, says they actually capture the essence of the company perfectly. "On the exterior we're tough and we're bold, and we're stating that we're going to be around for a long time," she says. "Yet...