The North Face Gets A Sustainable New Headquarters
It’s a pretty exciting day for us at The North Face as today we moved into our new headquarters in Alameda California. We are joined by our VF Outdoor coalition partners JanSport and lucy at this new location. The new 14-acre campus embodies the brands’ outdoor ethos and commitment to their associates, community and the environment. The goal from the beginning was to create a work environment that mirrored the commitment to the outdoors that The North Face believes in.
“I’m thrilled to welcome our VF Outdoor associates to our new home in Alameda. Today culminates nearly four years of thoughtful design and planning. Our new campus reflects our team’s unique culture and passion for the outdoors,” said Steve Rendle, Group President of VF Outdoor and Action Sports Americas. “VF Outdoor includes many of VF’s fastest-growing businesses and the co-location of the JanSport, lucy and The North Face brands at one central campus will lead to even greater product innovation, collaboration and business growth.”
“In planning the new headquarters, we drew heavily on employee input, relying on a group of employee-led taskforces to consult on the campus’ design,” Rendle added. “As a result, several features were incorporated in the campus, including:
- A 1,000 square-foot fitness center and outdoor training area
- On-campus bike shop and equipment gear lockers
- Café featuring healthy and organic food options that will host cooking classes and chef demonstrations
- Community vegetable garden for employee harvest, which will also provide fresh produce for the café and
- Emphasis on ‘bringing the outside in’ by maximizing the amount of natural sunlight at indoor work spaces.
The campus will also include several sustainability features that align with our dedication to outdoor preservation and environmental responsibility. In addition to being built in accordance with LEED Gold standards, the campus generates 100 percent of its anticipated electricity needs through a combination of photovoltaic solar panels and wind turbines. Additionally, a state-of-the-art indirect-direct evaporative cooling (IDEC) HVAC system circulates 100 percent fresh air without the use of emission-causing coolants. The campus also features electric vehicle charging stations and is conveniently located near public transit to encourage associates to consider alternative modes of transportation to and from the new headquarters.
Our new neighbors are pretty excited that we are here too. “We are thrilled to welcome the VF Outdoor family to our Alameda community. The JanSport, lucy and The North Face brands’ commitment to sustainability and passion for the outdoors mirror those of our local residents,” said Marie Gilmore, mayor of Alameda. “We look forward to the contributions VF Outdoor will make to the local business community and economic well being of our city.”
The 160,000 square-foot headquarters is located at 2701 Harbor Bay Parkway in Alameda. VF Outdoor worked with several key partners on the project: San Francisco-based interior designer Rapt Studio, Alameda-based developer SRM Associates, San Francisco-based exterior designer FME Architecture & Design, Pleasanton-based general contractor J.M. O’Neill and landscape architect April Philips Design Works Inc. of San Rafael, Calif.
