As Walmart evolves in response to a changing workforce and focus on sustainability, the company’s new Home Office campus in Bentonville captures these values over 350 acres—both a blueprint for ecologically sensitive campus design and a renewed anchor at its origin in the Ozarks. More than a headquarters, the campus is a major regional investment for Northwest Arkansas at large and a hub for thousands of associates living within biking distance of work, providing climate-friendly commuting options and setting an ambitious target of 10% of staff biking to work.
Central to the design is a forested greenway that runs through the heart of campus, paying homage to the limestone-banked seasonal creeks that once wove across the site and seamlessly connecting to the 40-mile Razorback Regional Greenway. Over 13 acres of constructed lakes and bioswales at the North and South ends of campus collect, filter, and redistribute stormwater across a vast irrigation system, providing over 52 million gallons of water annually and minimizing impacts to the city’s potable water supply. The plan also carefully preserves mature canopy in place and relocates trees across campus, integrating native Arkansan ecologies like highlands forest, bluestem prairies, seasonal wetlands, and pollinator habitats throughout.
Guided by the idea of “Big Nature” (a nod to the state’s nickname), the Home Office carries this environmental ethic from the campus’ sprawling forests and meadows to the facilities themselves, which include 12 office buildings, a fitness center, childcare center, food hall, hotel, central conference and training hall, and more—largely built with mass timber. A cohesive network of complete streets, shaded walkways, and bike paths knit the facilities together and connect it to Bentonville with a range of micro-mobility options. Elevating Walmart’s culture, heritage, and core values, the Home Office aims to model the next generation of sustainability-driven corporate campus design, cementing the company’s legacy in the Natural State.
Construction on the Walmart Home Office campus began in 2019 with anticipated completion of most features in 2025.
_____
In the media:
Google Headquarters
As a winner of the ASLA’s Centennial Medallion, this project is recognized as one of the most significant landscapes of the last century. The former SGI campus, acquired by Google in 2004, and the adjacent Charleston Park, comprise a 26-acre brownfield site. The design creates a strong identity for the campus and provides a much-needed civic space, blurring di...
Westlake Corporate Campus
Westlake Corporate Campus is a 107-acre corporate training facility and retreat center for Deloitte LLP. Formerly, Deloitte had conducted new employee training, team building, and continuing education workshops at various hotel sites across the United States. The project encompasses indoor/outdoor classroom facilities, recreation, and many other retreat-type a...
Lite-On Headquarters
This major Taiwanese electronics company chose Taipei’s “Electronics Center” overlooking the Gee Long River for their new headquarters. The overall concept is of a 25-story slender tower rising above a sloped landscape podium that covers much of the site. Below-grade parking slopes toward the river on one side, with the urban center on the ot...
Weyerhaeuser Corporate Headquarters
Founding SWA partner Peter Walker collaborated with architects SOM on site analysis, planning, and landscape development for this hugely influential corporate headquarters, which remains notable for its unique integration of landscape, architecture, and environmental stewardship. The 425-acre site was chosen by the design team with George Weyerhaeuser for its ...