Caffeination Meets Innovation

Keurig Dr Pepper Headquarters
Burlington, Massachusetts

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, owner of Keurig Dr Pepper Inc., challenged SMMA to design a “beacon of innovation” to represent their new world headquarters located in Burlington, MA. The corporate campus required an impactful presence: it needed to announce itself as home to an idea-driven company backed by a culture of social responsibility and fair trade, while also establishing a desirable workplace for employees.

SMMA's site plan for the new Keurig Dr Pepper Headquarters

The growing beverage-maker conglomerate’s expectations to double its employee count over the next few years presented challenges to real estate developers vying to construct the build-to-suit project. SMMA’s developer client, The Gutierrez Company, found the perfect solution to the problem: a flexible 16-acre site adjacent to Route 128 along the Greater Boston Area’s high-technology corridor.

  • Landscaping at Keurig world headquarters in Burlington Massachusetts
  • Corporate office facade at Keurig Dr Pepper World HQ
  • Keurig Dr Pepper offices and parking lot in Burlington, MA
SMMA began the addition and renovation process for an existing 154,000 sf building on the property to accommodate Keurig Dr Pepper’s Research & Development (R&D) operation, which needed to be completed on an expedited timeframe. Additionally, a primary headquarters and office building of 450,800 sf, for which SMMA worked on a 191,000 sf underground garage, allotted more than enough space for their previously scattered administrative functions to unite under a single, highly efficient roof.

User-Centric Design

The design intent for the corporate campus visually portrays Keurig Dr Pepper’s internal culture and values. The architecture of the complex forms a literal beacon of innovation through a boldly lit vertical curtain wall and prominently placed company logo. In collaboration with construction management and consulting services firm Chapman Construction/Design, the project also delivers an outcome that embodies a commitment to environmental stewardship. The LEED Gold-certified R&D building anchors the northern edge of the site, connected to the LEED Gold-certified main headquarters building by a bridge. A company cafeteria wing, topped with a green roof garden, is large enough to accommodate regular company gatherings that were previously forced off-site due to spatial limitations.

Creating a Campus Feel

Keurig Dr Pepper continues to support more than a place to work for its employees. Instead, it strives for a campus-like feel, creating a corporate community that staff can partake in beyond normal working hours. A north/south axis traversing the entire complex, appropriately coined Keurig Way, features coffee bars, eating spots, an open fire pit, and recreational amenities to encourage natural and spontaneous interaction among its dedicated and hard-working staff.

Design rendering of new Keurig Dr Pepper headquarters designed by SMMA