HomeAway’s LEED Gold Headquarters in Austin Makes Work Feel Like a Vacation

When <a href="http://www.homeaway.com/">HomeAway Inc</a> opened its new headquarters in Austin in 2009, the vacation website sought to make their offices one of the greenest in the city -- as well as one of the most enjoyable places to work. With a sprawling roof deck, a game room, and a giant replica of the birdhouse from the HomeAway logo, it looks more like a vacation destination than a work space. Designed by <a href="http://www.ctagroup.com/">CTA Architects Engineers</a>, the 51,000-square-foot office was even awarded LEED Gold certification for its use of eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient systems.

The lobby of HomeAway's Austin headquarters features an art piece made by CEO HomeAway CEO Brian Sharples using postcards from around the world.

Inside the lower level of the two-story birdhouse is a replica of a kitchen table, which is meant to pay homage to that entrepreneurial spirit from which the company was born.

The boardroom features wood beams that were salvaged from 19th-century barns from New York State and a white picket fence that HomeAway CEO Brian Sharples made using old skis from his childhood.

The upper level of the birdhouse features a hammock.

The big birdhouse can be seen from from the corner of Fifth St. and Lamar Blvd., just across the street from the Whole Foods Market flagship store.

The company encourages green transportation, providing deeply discounted mass transportation passes for employees and free covered parking for employees who drive eco-friendly vehicles.