HP Innovation Journal Issue 13: Winter 2019 | Page 23

Bigger, Better &
Greener in Texas
In Houston, the forward-thinking, sustainable design of
HP’s new campus meets the needs of a changing workforce.
DEBORAH LYNN BLUMBERG
HP’s new Houston campus brings Silicon Valley
straight to Texas. A project two years in the making,
the 378,000-square-foot campus in Springwoods Village,
north of downtown Houston, celebrated its official grand
opening on February 7. Two new buildings, constructed
from the ground up, replace HP’s previous Houston
campus and are now home to around 2,300 employees.
The project is one of several HP has embarked on over the
last few years to modernize facilities, enhance sustain-
ability and meet the needs of a changing workforce. For
the first time in history, five generations are coexisting
at work, from Traditionalists (those born before 1946) to
Generation Z, people born after 1996. Millennial employ-
ees—born between 1981 and 1996—already make up
more than 30% of the American labor force. They value
things like flexibility, technology, and sustainability at
work—driving companies across industries to rethink how
and where work happens.
HP tapped Houston architecture, design and consulting
firm PDR to lead the new campus development project
because of the firm’s focus on incorporating workplace
strategy and well-being features into the environmental
building design. PDR also stood out for its process of
gathering employee input to inform design.
The new campus incorporates workplace strategy and environmental
and well-being features into the building design.
BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN
One of several distinctive features of the building is its
use of biophilic design, a technique that incorporates
natural, organic elements to reconnect employees with
nature. Integrating nature into workplace design can
increase employee productivity by 8% and well-being by
13%, according to a recent report by Human Spaces.
In Houston, lichen moss plants cover walls and ceilings
throughout the building. All the windows stretch from
floor to ceiling, allowing for expansive views of the
outdoors, including the HP garden which grow herbs
and vegetables, tended by employee volunteers. PDR also
incorporated nature into design elements throughout the
building. Screen walls on the first floor were inspired by a
dragonfly wing, while the building’s shades of yellow, blue,
and magenta are reminiscent of a sunrise and sunset.
“Plants, natural light, and natural materials have a positive
influence on people’s mood,” says Laura DelaFuente, HP’s
head of workplace strategy and experience. “We care that
employees spend their day in a healthy environment.”
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