At Gen’s new Mountain View headquarters, HKS blends sustainability, brand experience, and flexibility to create a people-first environment where digital freedom and collaboration thrive — all inside a reimagined, once-empty building.

In the heart of Silicon Valley, HKS has transformed a dormant Mountain View building into Gen’s dynamic new hub, where cyber safety meets cutting-edge design. Infused with the spirit
of “Powering Digital Freedom,” the workspace is a testament to Gen’s commitment to protection and innovation.

With 95% of the furniture repurposed, the office is a sustainability showcase, harmonizing eco-conscious practices with a vibrant, amenity-rich environment. This is where industry leaders convene, ideas flourish, and a reimagined work experience comes to life, setting a new standard for the tech-savvy workforce. Discover how Gen’s Silicon Valley site is redefining the future of collaborative spaces.

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Project Details & Challenges

Gen is a global leader in cyber safety. Having recently united a family of brands under the new Gen brand, they wanted their new Silicon Valley hub site to embody the spirit, values and mission of their teams, who dedicate their careers to protecting millions of people worldwide.

Gen challenged HKS to transform a dormant, unoccupied building in Mountain View, California, into a fresh, new site that would bring Gen’s people together both physically and virtually. The new site was intended to connect people, place, and brand in an amenity-rich work environment that would position Gen as a best place to work among its competitors.

Gen’s core purpose of “Powering Digital Freedom” drove HKS’ design, which underscores the company’s innovative, energetic mission-driven culture. Design is a key strategy in establishing the company’s new workplace experience.

When employees and visitors step into the new workplace, the environment activates them with a welcoming atmosphere and streaming music. A concierge conveys the feeling of experiencing an exclusive club. The workplace experience connects people — both employees and guests — to the Gen brand, while also conveying a sense of importance.

Throughout the natural light-filled workplace, the flow between spaces is seamless. Diverse places to gather, from the concierge at entry to an adjacent cafe, to a multi-function space for public events, and informal kitchens interspersed throughout all convey a sense of hospitality.

An open floor plan with hoteling spaces and quiet nooks provides choice for different modes of work and small group collaboration.

To minimize the site’s carbon footprint, designers re-used base building architecture, concrete, plumbing, and perhaps most surprisingly: furnishings. In Gen’s new space, 95% of the furniture is re-used. Designers compared the process of furnishing the new headquarters to “shopping in your own closet to achieve quality and authenticity.” That story resonated with Gen for myriad reasons, including the notion of that it had a familial sense.

Key Products 

Coverings Etc. 

• Eco-Terr Slabs – Used for countertops and backsplashes

Terra Mai 

• Amish White Oak Panel – Used for wall paneling

Surfacing Solutions 

• Solid Wood Tambour – Used for millwork facing

Overall Project Results

Experiencing this office through its design, environmental branding and energy, provides a one-of-a-kind Gen experience and changes how the company brings people together. Through a hybrid, people-first solution, the new hub site can flex to meet the daily demands of its workforce with adaptable spaces that flex to accommodate peak occupancy for special events. That’s key, because Gen not only hosts its own workforce but also holds frequent events where leaders including CEO Vincent Pilette, who “loves spending time in that office,” invite other CEOs to the workplace for informal, engaging conversations.

Main Contributors:

Meet the Design Team

Photography

Garrett Rowland

Bruce Damonte