Ormat finds global headquarters in Reno

The work-from-home business model may be fine for some companies, but for Ormat Technologies, onsite collaboration between different teams and departments is crucial to successfully developing and operating geothermal facilities.

That’s one reason why the Reno-based geothermal developer recently purchased a new global headquarters building at 6884 Sierra Center Parkway. Growth is another.

General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer Jessica Woelfel told NNBW recently during a tour of the new headquarters facility that the space formerly occupied by Intuit was completely gutted and transformed into a multifunctional workspace that can accommodate all of Ormat’s Reno-based workforce, showcase the company's work in sustainability and renewable energy, and inspire employees to come into the office.

“Our projects are so dynamic, and they require the collaboration of many different teams coming together — you just can’t build and support a geothermal power plant from home,” Woelfel said. “Every project is unique and has challenges that need to be overcome, and we are able to push our projects forward much more efficiently when we are able to work closely together and collaborate in person.”

Ormat more than outgrew its former 27,646-square-foot headquarters building at 6140 Plumas Ave. Over the past few years as the company’s workforce grew, Ormat had to lease about 9,000 square feet of additional office space in a nearby building. Its projects team, meanwhile, had been working in space at Ormat’s Steamboat Hills geothermal facility in south Reno.

The larger facility houses all teams under the same roof in a building designed for collaboration and employee comfort.

“The plan was to pull all three locations together so we can create a much more collaborative workspace,” Woelfel said. “We have been back at the office four days a week, and we have found that we are able to get much more accomplished when our employees are able to connect and collaborate together. There is a huge benefit to us being in the same place.”

Proximity was just part of the solution, though. Inspired workers tend to be productive workers, so Ormat also set out to create a workspace that employees genuinely enjoy going to and being in.

“We wanted our employees to be inspired by their workplace, and we wanted a space that showcases renewable energy because our employees are proud of the work they do here,” Woelfel said.

“Management was very supportive of this project,” she added. “Ormat made a significant investment when it purchased this building, and we had lofty goals when it came to design. We were very fortunate with the team we hired, and we worked closely with them in the design choices and selection of materials to keep costs down while creating a beautiful workspace.”

It’s one thing to have a near unlimited budget and create a stunning corporate headquarters – Apple Park in Cupertino comes to mind. It’s another thing entirely to be given a tight budget to create a showcase space from which your company will conduct business for the next decade.

The first step, Woelfel told NNBW, was to engage the Cresa Project Management team of Beth Stein and Jennifer Ford. Erik Fong and Hannah DeHaven of OneStudio D+A were brought in as the architect and interior designer, respectively, while Miles Construction was engaged as general contractor.

OneStudio’s Fong told NNBW that creating a unique office space that dovetails with a client’s vision usually starts with a deep discussion about the company’s culture and mission.

“We really try to figure out the culture of the office and the type of people that are working there,” Fong said. “There’s an extensive interview process where we really try to understand how to manipulate the space to make it function best for how the company works, especially one with so many different departments.”

The main focal point of the building is Ormat’s “Heart Space.” It’s a large central gathering area featuring a kitchen in which Gordon Ramsay himself would be proud to prepare his signature beef Wellington. The space is flanked by two large glass-walled conference rooms that can be removed to open the space and accommodate Ormat’s entire staff during all-hands meetings.

Another highlight of the space are the two living moss walls created by local artist and designer Liz Brown of MonkeyCat Studio.

“We went with a lot of biophilic design (incorporating natural elements into architecture to create a productive and thriving workspace) because of our company’s focus on green renewable energy,” Woelfel said. “We wanted this space to tell Ormat’s story. There are a lot of live plants throughout the space, a lot of wood tones, and art that reflects work we do and the regions where we work.”

The multiple free cappuccino/latte/espresso machines throughout the building help out quite a bit with employee morale and productivity as well.

“The No.1 most-important thing in the design of the building was making sure everyone had coffee,” said Evan Warner, Ormat’s director of legal operations who worked with Woelfel on the project.

“There is a lot of coffee consumed here,” Woelfel added with a laugh. “You don’t want to know our budget for coffee.”

Two additional collaboration spaces (with their own coffee bars) anchor employee workspaces on opposite ends of the L-shaped building. Some interior offices and conference rooms were created using Falkbuilt wall systems that can be moved and reconfigured without any additional demolition, construction or other common tenant improvements.

“We can literally over a week change the configuration of how this office is set up,” Warner said.

Fong said that the collaborative spaces were integrated into interior design to give employees flexibility in both how and where they work. Several Zoom rooms were also installed to provide employees quiet places to conduct phone calls or videoconferences.

Ormat has operations in the U.S., Kenya, Guatemala, Israel, Indonesia and many other countries. The building’s 12 conference rooms were named after the international locations where the company works, and artwork in the spaces reflects local styles.

“The employees working in Reno are building and supporting projects all over the world,” Woelfel said. “We do such inspiring work around the world, and we want our employees to feel connected to all areas of the business through this workspace.”

Added Warner: “Our goal was collaboration, inspiration and efficiency, and I think we accomplished it.”