Thesis Headquarters

Show Hide Project Info

Based in Portland, Oregon, Thesis is a digital creative agency that values collaboration and embraces a culture of hybrid work. The process for their new headquarters design took place during a global pandemic, which shaped the building on every level—challenging the team to rethink office design to prioritize comfortable "mid-door" spaces that bring nature indoors, and a home-like setting to the office.

LEVER's concept centers the new Thesis campus as a place for community—a hub for hosting events and gatherings, team building, and collaboration. Located in Portland’s Slabtown neighborhood where Forest Park meets the city grid, this new 40,000 sf mass timber urban campus offers connections on all levels to both city and nature that reflect the unique team culture and values of the Thesis community.

Bringing in the forest

Connecting Thesis with Forest Park and accessible green spaces inspires a healthy ecosystem of interconnected indoor/outdoor experiences and a new urban campus model. By truly integrating what it means to work, live, and play in a changing city fabric, the new building will reflect the specific needs of the Thesis community, while simply being a good neighbor.

The All-hands space is located directly off the street at the ground level to create strong outdoor and neighborhood connections—providing a dynamic gathering space for internal and community events

Bridging the gap between home and office

Designing an office environment during a pandemic challenged the design team to ask the question: "what makes people want to come back to the office?" and the answer came to life through the idea of bringing desirable qualities from both home and office together. The "mid-door" spaces at Thesis embrace biophilic design principles, including natural materials and a variety of plantings, and offer indoor/outdoor connections with large sliding glass doors and operable windows—bringing in more natural daylight and ventilation than a typical office space. A warm interiors palette and a selection of ultra-comfortable furniture offer home-like, casual settings for breaks, meetings, outdoor work, dining, and events, all while connecting staff and visitors with nature.

Thesis is sustainably designed with a custom mass timber structure made from Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels with glulam columns and beams—prefabricated at Timberlab, only miles from the site. The use of regional mass timber products gives the building its timeless Pacific Northwest aesthetic. The LEED Gold design prioritizes energy use reduction through abundant daylight and efficient systems, including on-site solar panels.