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November 30, 2018
Online travel company Expedia Group on Thursday released new images of its Seattle headquarters, which is under construction on the former Amgen campus in Interbay.
To create its new home, Expedia is converting six mid-rise structures and constructing a 180,000-square-foot crescent-shaped building closer to Elliott Bay. Updated plans also show a 755-stall parking structure on the northern edge of the site, which is under construction.
Maureen Thon Decker, senior manager of corporate communications at Expedia, wrote in an email that reusing the three- and four-story buildings will make it easier for staff to move about, inside and out. She said the horizontal configuration will encourage more collaboration and social interaction.
An Expedia news release says the new space will use biophilic design — the concept of connecting people with nature to improve physical and mental well-being. Spaces will have natural light, expansive views, open workspaces and access to outdoor areas. Light will come through 11-foot-tall windows.
“Truly one-of-a-kind, the 40-acre campus is surrounded by the natural environment which will serve as a constant source of inspiration for current and future employees who are committed to our purpose of bringing the world within reach,” said Mark Nagle, Expedia vice president of global real estate, in the release.
“Our design thinking goes beyond capturing what makes travel special, to reflect the data-obsessed learning culture that's core to how we operate,” Nagle said. “We study how our employees and visitors use office spaces around the world to uncover first-rate design choices to meet the needs of our evolving global working habits.”
About 4,500 Expedia employees will move from the current Bellevue headquarters to the new campus in late 2019.
Getting them to Seattle without jamming already congested streets will be a challenge. Expedia will address that with shuttles from Eastside and downtown transit hubs, rideshares, free ORCA passes for staff, and new bike and walking paths.
For people cycling to work, there will be storage for more than 400 bikes, an on-site mechanic and shower/changing areas.
Expedia says there will be acres of outdoor space, including playfields, meeting spaces and an amphitheater. Those spaces will be served by Wi-Fi and enhanced mobile service.
The tech company also plans to have food trucks on site, and a market hall offering food and gathering areas.
GLY Construction, the project's general contractor, is working on site improvements and building restorations. This includes temporary stormwater control measures, grading, underground utility installation, foundation pile work on existing buildings and construction of elevated floors for a parking garage.
In 2019, GLY will start constructing the new building and main landscaping. The effort will require about six months of large-scale demolition of existing asphalt, and reworking the ground plane to slope toward Elliott Bay.
The new building is expected to open in 2020.
Here's the project team: Seneca Group, development manager; ZGF, architect; Surfacedesign, landscape architect; Stegmeier Consulting Group, change management; Unico, building manager; and Paladino, sustainability consultant.
In August, the DJC reported that Amazon will lease Expedia's 374,000 square feet space in Tower 333 in downtown Bellevue. Expedia's lease there is up in December 2019.
Expedia will also keep about 112,000 square feet at Skyline Tower in Bellevue, according to the August article.
Expedia paid nearly $229 million in 2015 for the Amgen campus.
Benjamin Minnick can be
reached by email or by phone
at (206) 622-8272.