Thursday, October 1, 2009

HomeAway Opens New HQ

Austin-based HomeAway said Thursday it has officially opened its new headquarters at Fifth and Lamar, which the firm says is Gold LEED-certified and environmentally friendly. The firm said the new headquarters gives it 86,000 square feet, and will accommodate up to 300 employees. The firm currently has 219 employees in Austin, and over 540 employees for the company as a whole. The firm's LEED certification means the company has met certain requirements for environmentally friendly construction, including water saving fixtures, solar heated water, the use at least 50 percent solar and/or wind energy for its electric needs, as well as use of recycled materials. The new headquarters is above home decor store West Elm, which just opened up yesterday. HomeAway is a venture-backed operator of a network of vacation rental websites.