YETI's HQ Stays True to Progressive Mission

Fast-growing outdoor brand YETI Coolers recently opened the doors of its brand-new global headquarters in Austin, a showcase of sustainable building materials and finishes. The 175,000-sq.-ft. complex comprises two 87,500-sq.-ft. buildings, designed by Gensler and landscape architects TBG Partners, includes amenities in line with the company’s outdoor lifestyle brand such as cornhole sets, hammocks and barbecue pits.

Inspired by YETI’s mission, the design team crafted a workplace as earthy and authentic as the brand itself. The campus features simple, honest materials and outdoor hues, and includes fire pits as well as an outdoor band stage/workplace, eschewing anything connoting “corporate.” Hand-tooled leather, raw steel, recycled inner tubes and worn denim materials help evoke the brand lifestyle throughout the interior.

The decking specified for the outdoor landscaping of the project, including an open-air terrace and employee lounge, was Kebony, a sustainable and highly durable modified wood. “I chose Kebony wood for the project because I was looking for a rugged exterior deck material that was an alternative to ipe wood, which we’re trying to get away from for environmental reasons,” TPG Partners senior associate designer Matt Dawson said. “I really like that the wood develops a silver-gray patina over time. This fits with the color and texture palette that I was looking for.” Although the project did not receive any LEED/AEGB/WELL Building ratings, Gensler designed with the best sustainability focused trade practices, including local craftsmanship, LED lighting, low-VOC paint, OSB—readily available—and concrete—fly ash and local resources. This is the second YETI project Kebony has been involved in; Kebony Shou Sugi Ban cladding was used inside and outside YETI’s flagship store in Austin as well, sourced locally from Delta Millworks.