If you’re an outdoor adventure fan, Clif Bar’s Emeryville office is a dreamland. Vintage bikes, kayaks and surfboards hang from the vaulted ceilings, and a 40-foot rock-climbing wall fills the back corner. There’s a cafeteria that serves local, organic food. And, in case you need a little help in training for that triathlon, there are on-site massage and fitness therapists, a full gym and yoga studio. And you thought sneaking out for a spin class at lunch was great!
"This space is what Clif people have built – it’s more than a headquarters, it’s a home to their inspiration and passion to do business in a better way,” says Gary Erickson, founder and co-CEO of Clif Bar & Company.
The 115,000-square foot loft isn’t just sports and play; it’s also a cutting-edge environmental building. The Clif headquarters is the only LEED Platinum certified building in Emeryville. The offices have the largest smart solar installation in the country, and all of the electricity and heat for the building run off of the East Bay sunlight. The conference room, and much of the interior space is made from reclaimed wood, and during the day the workspace is only filled with natural light.
It’s the little details that set Clif’s space apart from the myriad of other eco offices in the Bay Area. The soundboards to help contain noise in the lofted space, are built out of recycled denim. The pull handles on doors, from recycled bicycle tubing. The conference room is built from refurbished shipping container. And there are four open-air atriums filled with plants.
“We recycled an old building into a new space that’s very open and communal as the next step on our journey toward sustainability,” said Kit Crawford, Clif Bar & Company’s co-CEO. “The space reflects who we are while limiting our footprint on the planet.”
Clif Bar & Company moved into the space in 2010, after the energy bar company outgrew their old space. The company has grown again and they’re looking to expand even further, into the building next door.
