Adobe Founders Tower

Overview

Opportunity

Solution

Impact

Team

Adobe Founders Tower expands Adobe’s San Jose headquarters with a human-centered workplace that inspires connection and creative flow.

Location

San Jose, California

Client

Adobe

Expertise

[FPO] Architecture [FPO] Interior Design [FPO] Build To Suit [FPO] Headquarters Brand Design Digital Experience Design Technology Build to Suit & Headquarters

Opportunity

Adobe needed an expanded headquarters that would channel its inventive energy, support growth, and anticipate new ways of working, gathering, and creating together.

As more companies aim to establish their vision of the future of work, those that are most successful don’t just meet expectations – they anticipate and surpass new ones. When Adobe expanded its San Jose footprint, it envisioned a workplace that could flex to meet the demands brought on by new modes of collaboration and office socialization. Equally important, its new home had to make these shifts while remaining an alluring and useful place to earn people’s commutes, allow greater autonomy, and bring its unique culture to life.

Why This Matters

01
Agility and Future-Readiness
The tower needed to flex with changing technologies and work modes while remaining a desirable and meaningful homebase for Adobe employees over time.
02
Cultural and Brand Identity
The design had to reflect Adobe’s creative community and serve as a place where the future of technology, invention, and business is cultivated.
03
Resilience at the Core
The design had to be adaptable to future uses and configurations, requiring a bold approach to sustainability that would ensure long-term stability.

We moved in over 1,000 employees today. This has been a journey that I will never forget, and I cherish the opportunity we have had to work together the past 5 years.

Solution

Founders Tower is a connected and flexible destination where Adobe’s creative DNA is expressed through space, color, technology, and choice.

Driven by business growth and changes in the work landscape, Founders Tower is a space that embodies what Adobe stands for: creativity, connection, sustainability, inclusivity, and workplace innovation. Within the first all-electric building of its scale in Silicon Valley, Gensler created neighborhood configurations on each floor with vibrant color cues that signal social, collaborative, and focus zones. New space types and technology support each of these modes, along with neurodiversity, to create an adaptable workplace model centered on inclusivity, choice, and flexibility.

As the technology-supported workplace advances and technology itself becomes more invisible, Founders Tower is a catalyst that is constantly inventing, sharing, and exploring the future.

The building is a platform for sustainable growth that fosters community, promotes culture, creates buzz, and reinforces Adobe’s values as a timeless place to connect.

What Changed Because of This

01
Workplace Choice
Neighborhoods, focus rooms, collaboration zones, adventure rooms, and gathering spaces support multiple work modes and give employees greater choice.
02
Energy Performance
The all-electric building is 100% powered by renewable energy sources and reduces energy use by 40%.
03
Meaningful Experience
The workplace offers an experience that is stable, desirable, and meaningful over time, reinforcing it as the very best place for employee connection and growth.

Recognition

01

Propmodo

Explored the project as a “preview of the future of creative office space.” Gensler’s Natalie Engels detailed its focus on sustainability, well-being, and amenities.

02

Bloomberg

Highlighted office design predictions Gensler’s 2024 Design Forecast, sharing commentary from Gensler’s Natalie Engels about companies prioritizing the well-being of teams and individuals.

03

AIA Silicon Valley

The project was recognized with a Citation Award from AIA Silicon Valley in its 2023 Design Awards.

Team

Project Leadership

Natalie Engels

Natalie Engels is a Principal at Gensler who helps organizations design workplaces that enable people to become better at their work, not simply perform it. With nearly 30 years of experience, she advises leaders on how workplace can accelerate learning, strengthen culture, and drive organizational performance.

Hao Ko

Hao is Gensler's Global Director of Design and a Regional Design Principal, focusing on building a dynamic practice through an open and collaborative culture. An inquisitive architect by nature, he is passionate about transforming experiences through deep research, the craft of technical excellence, and rigorous intellectual thought, all while striving to design beautiful places that change people's lives for the better.

[FPO] Mark McMinn

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Jacqueline Zuhoski

As Technical Director, Jacqueline leverages her capabilities to successfully identify and implement solutions at all project phases. She is also a Design Resilience Leader, supporting Gensler’s Product Sustainability (GPS) Standards, which are part of the firm’s broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gases emitted by the built environment.

FAQ

01

Where is Adobe Founders Tower located?

San Jose, California.

02

How large is Adobe Founders Tower?

The tower totals 1.25 million square feet and is 18 stories tall, including 700,000 square feet of office space with occupancy for 4,000.

03

What makes Adobe Founders Tower sustainable?

Founders Tower is all-electric, 100% powered by renewable energy, and reduces energy use by 40%. It is also LEED and WELL Building certified.

04

How does the building support different ways of working?

The workplace includes neighborhoods, focus rooms, collaboration zones, adventure rooms, social hubs, and technology-enabled spaces for varied work modes.

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Related Expertise

Architecture Interior Design Build to Suit Headquarters Brand Design Digital Experience Design Technology Build to Suit & Headquarters

Adobe Founders Tower expands Adobe’s San Jose headquarters with a human-centered workplace that inspires connection and creative flow.

Adobe needed an expanded headquarters that would channel its inventive energy, support growth, and anticipate new ways of working, gathering, and creating together.

Why This Matters

Founders Tower is a connected and flexible destination where Adobe’s creative DNA is expressed through space, color, technology, and choice.

As the technology-supported workplace advances and technology itself becomes more invisible, Founders Tower is a catalyst that is constantly inventing, sharing, and exploring the future.

What Changed Because of This