Amanda Michienzi is a talent brand specialist on PTC's Talent Acquisition team. After graduating from Boston University's College of Communication with a degree in public relations and working at Boston-based PR firm, Schneider Associates, she joined PTC's recruiting team to help develop their employer brand. Amanda describes her role as a "culture storyteller" and works to produce content and communications that attract and retain talent. Follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
In January 2019, PTC made a transformative change. We moved our headquarters from a quiet pond in the city suburbs to the hustle and bustle of Boston’s Seaport District. For an almost 40-year-old software company, this move breathed new life into our culture, work, and all that we do.
In recognition of our one-year anniversary, we recently asked some of our Boston-based employees what they’ve found most impactful about our new location at 121 Seaport. Here’s what they had to say:
1. Surrounded by Sustainability
“I’m continuously impressed by PTC’s commitment to sustainability at 121 Seaport. When you work for a company that is environmentally conscious and truly cares, it translates into the purpose-driven initiatives we work on and it complements the intrinsic motivation of many of our employees.”- Matt Au, Senior Human Resource Project Specialist.
In 2018, our building was awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design's (LEED) award making it one of the greenest buildings in the United States. The exterior of our 17-story, 440,000 square foot building has a unique elliptical shape that produces energy savings of 15% through lowering surface area exposure to the sun. This is just one of many reasons 121 Seaport is synonymous with sustainability.
2. Collaboration Through Face-to-Face Conversations
“Transitioning to working in 121 Seaport’s open layout has not only improved my ability to support my business partners, but has also promoted collaboration within our own team, making it easy to tackle problems face-to-face. I love that what use to be a string of back and forth emails is now much more efficient conversations.” – Rachel Cardozo, Senior Financial Analyst
Last year, we said goodbye to outdated cubicles and private offices. No one, not even President and CEO Jim Heppelmann, has an office in our new space. We replaced the old set up with a variety of different work spaces, including standing desks, on-demand huddle rooms, and virtual collaboration stations. This has dramatically shifted how PTC employees interact and work with one another, making everyone feel more connected and efficient.
3. Boston’s Hottest Neighborhood: The Seaport
“After a long day at work it’s nice to be able to walk only a few blocks to my favorite dinner spot. The different types of cuisine in such a small area is astonishing and there are new restaurants popping up every month. The access to all that Boston has to offer is something I really love about working at 121 Seaport.” – Leah Walter, Talent Acquisition
One of the biggest changes (and perks) of moving from the suburbs to the heart of Boston is the access to the region’s hottest restaurants, shops, and attractions. Whether it’s the Cisco Brewery Pop-Up in the summer or the Snowport Ice Skating Rink in the winter, there is always something new for our employees to enjoy just steps from our front door.
4. Awe-Inspiring Corporate Experience Center (CXC)
"Our unique Corporate Experience Center (CXC) allows visitors from all over the world to experience PTC technologies in real time. Having the privilege to work in our awe-inspiring CXC motivates me to build solutions that demonstrate the value of our products to everyone that walks through the door." - Ignacio Martos, Technical Rotational Analyst (pictured above)
With our new building, there was an opportunity to build a showcase space that is as dynamic and impressive as our products. This led to the creation of our new Corporate Experience Center. Located on the 17th floor (and featuring a roof deck on the 18th) our CXC combines a museum-like set up with hands-on technology demos that delight all visitors. This unique space not only highlights our technology solutions, but also some of the best views of Boston Harbor and waterfront.
5. Connection to the Boston Community
“Over the past year we’ve had the opportunity to host multiple events at 121 Seaport, including field trips with Boston area high schools and networking events for local diversity and community groups. This has been made possible by the location and event space of 121 Seaport – something we didn’t previously have.” – Erick Smith, Inclusion and Diversity Specialist
At 121 Seaport, all employees have access to a large event space known as “The Common” which can host up 300 people. Though this space is available to employees throughout the day to congregate, work, or grab some cold brew on tap, it also can be booked for external events. Employees are encouraged to use this space to invite the local community into our headquarters as often as possible. In combination with our accessible location, our ability to connect and impact the greater Boston community has vastly increased.
6. Beauty Meets Design
“Constantly being told by customers and partners who visit PTC how lucky we are to work in such a beautiful place is a nice daily reminder of why I love coming to work every day.” - Anna Gleason, Corporate Experience Events Specialist
There is something futuristic about PTC’s space in 121 Seaport. This is thanks to the combined efforts of CBT Architects, Skanska, Cresa, and Margulies Perruzzi who made PTC headquarters not only extremely efficient and green but also a uniquely beautiful workspace that offers a fun and whimsical workspace. Their work has certainly not gone unrecognized; 121 Seaport was a gold-level winner of the Building Design + Construction (BD+C) Magazine 2019 Building Team Awards and received the 2019 Citation for Design Excellence from AIA New England.
7. Innovation District Feels Like Home
“The recent transition to our new location in Boston's Innovation District has had a profound impact on not only our employees, but also on our customers, partners, and visitors as well. Being surrounded by other innovative and reputable companies, the Innovation District is truly the perfect place for PTC.” – Tom Sullivan, Corporate Experience Manager
The most impactful change from our move to 121 Seaport is being immersed in the United States’ first Innovation District. As a leader in innovative technology like the Internet of Things and augmented reality, PTC not only fits in but thrives in this community that is focused on building the future.
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When we asked our employees why we should celebrate this anniversary we were overwhelmed by the variety of answers. But what stood out most is that every reason had one thing in common – our physical space now matches our culture, values, and work. And this is why we’re so excited to continue this journey in 121 Seaport.
