The Business Journal broke the news on Thursday that digital agency Thesis has plans for a four-story headquarters in northwest Portland, to be completed next year. Thesis will occupy the entirety of the 41,000-square-foot space.
Founder and Chairman Ryan Buchanan spoke at length about the new HQ and the company's decision to stay in Portland instead of moving out to the suburbs. His comments, as follows, have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Why Thesis will remain in Portland. We believe in Portland. We believe strongly in it. We also have a younger employee base that wants to be where the action is and doesn't necessarily want to go to the suburbs. It is also a commitment to our culture, because we're not going the affordable route that puts us in a space that doesn't feel like us. We're going with a space that creates an ideal living environment and working and collaborative environment.
The HQ features that will set it apart. The stadium seating and the pullout glass doors that go into the courtyard. ... It's a very social space that also is conducive to learning from some top speakers and thought leaders.
The search. We had a pretty narrow window, as far as physical geography, to find office space. And there was empty space, but it just didn't meet our needs. ... We wanted it to feel authentically Thesis, instead of corporate-y.
Competing with home offices. We feel like this space gives the best of the greenery of Forest Park. It's the best of office and the best of home, because we have to compete with ... the convenience of people being at home.
The need for physical space. For 100% virtual companies, I think employees are going to start to look at that and say, "Oh, that's a benefit that I really want in a company. I want the option of having an office. I don't want to be isolated anymore."
The message to skeptics. Let's celebrate ... companies and leaders who have really valid reasons to have their companies and are thriving in the core. Maybe not the downtown core, but in close-in Portland.
