Apache Headquarters

Overview

Opportunity

Solution

Impact

Team

Apache’s new headquarters turns the office into an experience-driven destination, where natural inspiration and flexible work settings invite employees to reconnect with one another.

Location

Houston, Texas

Client

Apache Corporation

Expertise

Energy Brand Design Strategy [FPO] Brand

Opportunity

Facing a siloed office model and new expectations for how people work, Apache reimagined its headquarters as a flexible, experience-driven workplace.

Apache Corporation sought to redefine its 14-floor Houston headquarters to better reflect its brand identity while responding to the changing expectations of a modern workforce. The existing office model was siloed, limiting connection, flexibility, and the sense of inspiration needed to draw employees back with purpose. With return-to-work efforts, talent attraction, and long-term employee engagement in mind, Apache saw an opportunity to create a more unified, experience-driven workplace that fosters collaboration, supports choice, reflects its values of transparency and exploration, and creates meaningful daily experiences across all levels.

Why This Matters

01
Easy Transition
Apache needed a headquarters that eased the return to work, supported hybrid teams, and offered the comfort and choice employees valued at home.
02
Attracting Talent
In Houston’s competitive energy market, Apache needs a workplace that strengthens its brand, attracts talent, and reinforces its position as an employer of choice.
03
Designed for Collaboration
Apache replaces a siloed workplace with intuitive circulation and shared destinations that bring departments together, spark collaboration, and make connection part of the daily experience.

FPO Quote

Solution

The design solution is an exploration of day and night, from actively pursuing the workday to reflecting on the day’s happenings as the last light fades.

Spanning 350,000-square-feet, the new headquarters is designed as a dynamic exploration of contrast between day and night, activity and reflection. Work floors are vibrant and colorful, while executive and conference spaces evoke calm and serve as places to strategize. The design offers flexible work zones, private offices, and collaborative clusters. Immersive palettes inspired by nature, tactile materials, and biophilic elements create a curated, sensory-rich environment. Technology is seamlessly integrated to support hybrid work, and sustainable design choices, like open ceilings and reduced carpeting, lower the office’s carbon footprint while enhancing spatial volume.

From brief to build: creating a tactile, technology-enabled workplace experience that fosters collaboration, innovation, and hospitality.

Apache’s pioneering mindset shaped a layered sequence of spatial experiences across the headquarters. Rather than treat each floor as a stand-alone environment, the team used the rhythm of daylight and dusk to guide mood, materiality, and purpose. Brighter work floors express energy and discovery, while deeper-toned meeting and leadership spaces support reflection and strategy. Nature-driven palettes, tactile finishes, and embedded digital tools turn the workplace into an intuitive journey of movement, focus, and connection.

Impact

Apache’s new headquarters delivers a transformative workplace experience that aligns with its mission and culture.

The design encourages movement, transparency, and connection, supporting employee wellness and productivity while positioning Apache as a forward-thinking, people-centered employer.

What Changed Because of This

01
Work Modes
The reimagined layout draws teams together and creates new opportunities to collaborate whether
02
Office Equity
Uniform office standards promote equity across teams, giving every employee the same size and configuration while reducing friction around space allocation.
03
Environmentally Conscious
Wellness and sustainability shape Apache’s headquarters through low-carbon materials, biophilic design, efficient lighting, smart controls, reduced heat gain, and thoughtful material reuse.

Apache’s headquarters reflects how design can translate a company’s pioneering spirit into a workplace that energizes people and strengthens culture.

Team

Project Leadership

[FPO] Vince Flickenger

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Debora Novarini

Debora is a Studio Director, Design Director, and Brand Design Leader for Gensler’s South Central region who connects people to brands through distinctive identities and immersive experiences.

[FPO] Sharon Steinberg

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FAQ

01

What type of project is this?

This is a headquarters move and office workplace project.

02

How large is the project?

The headquarters spans approximately 350,000 square feet across 14 floors.

03

When was the project completed?

The project was completed in February 2025.

04

Who designed the project?

The energy workplace studio in Gensler’s Houston office.

05

Where is the project located?

In the Westchase District in Houston, Texas.

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Related Expertise

Energy Brand Design Strategy Brand

Apache’s new headquarters turns the office into an experience-driven destination, where natural inspiration and flexible work settings invite employees to reconnect with one another.

Facing a siloed office model and new expectations for how people work, Apache reimagined its headquarters as a flexible, experience-driven workplace.

Why This Matters

The design solution is an exploration of day and night, from actively pursuing the workday to reflecting on the day’s happenings as the last light fades.

From brief to build: creating a tactile, technology-enabled workplace experience that fosters collaboration, innovation, and hospitality.

Apache’s new headquarters delivers a transformative workplace experience that aligns with its mission and culture.

What Changed Because of This