In his last public appearance, June 7, 2011, Apple CEO Steve Jobs appeared before the Cupertino City Council to present plans for a new corporate campus. It was a Steve Jobs “special event” that Apple fanatics had become used to – bold, incredible and visionary. He likened his proposal to a “spaceship designed to hold over 12,000 employees” and perhaps “the best office building in the world.”
Apple’s new “Spaceship” headquarters planned for Cupertino, CA
Since 2011, the budget for Apple’s “Mothership”, as Cupertino Mayor Gilbert Wong dubbed it, has soared to almost $5 billion. That cost would eclipse the $3.9 billion being spent on the new World Trade Center complex in New York City. It helps when a company, like Apple, has $135 billion in cash reserves. Man, that’s one heck of a lot of money from iPhones and iPads – its spaceship kind of money!
Jobs vision isn’t likely to run into any civic obstacles either – after all this is the Silicon Valley and one doesn’t bite the hand that feeds you. Cupertino expects to have completed an environmental impact report by July and City Council doesn’t anticipate much in the way of community opposition. Demolishing the 26 buildings on the old Hewlett-Packard site will begin as early as next month.
A cynic’s impression of Apple’s new Spaceship Campus
Steve Jobs, before his untimely death, took his famously wonky attention to detail in all Apple products to his plans for his new pet project. The plans call for unprecedented 40-foot, floor-to-ceiling panes of curved glass. While the structural shell will be erected on site, the 6 kilometers of curved glass that forms the exterior walls will be bent and framed in a factory in Gersthofen, Germany.
Both Apple and Google are located just minutes from Hwy. 101
Both Google and Apple headquarters are located just a few minutes off of Pacific Coast Hwy. 101. I don’t know whether they have gates with armed guards, dragons or maybe even drones overhead. I’d sure like to have a drive around and snap a few pics though!
Conceptual design of the new Googleplex adjacent to Google HQ’s
Meanwhile, less than 10 miles away in Mountain View, CA and only a few blocks off Pacific Coast Hwy. 101 sits Google, Inc. and they too are preparing to break ground on a new 42 acre 1.1 million square foot Googleplex. This new campus will have nine 4 story tall buildings shaped like bent rectangles to make room for courtyards and will be connected by bridges leading to green, rooftop cafés.
This project will be the first time Google will be building a campus from scratch. Previously, they demolished the inside of buildings once owned by Silicon Graphics in Mountain View. Currently, about a third of Google’s 37,000 pus workforce is spread out in 65 buildings. Google is famous for pampering to the needs and desires of its gifted type-A workers and this complex will add even more luxuries.
Who needs stairs or an elevator? This slide is much faster and fun
There is a method to Google’s madness with these bent rectangle buildings all connected by overhead walkways. The J-shaped buildings and overall design allegedly ensures that every single employee working at Google's new complex will be, at most, a 2.5-minute walk from any other employee. Seattle-based architecture firm NBBJ is handling the project.
Who knew that workplace cafeteria’s even had pots and pans??
Hand tossed Pizza at my former workplace cafeteria? Yah, right!!
How did Google come up with this weird looking design? Well, in typical Google fashion – by gathering a mass of information (their specialty) on how its employees work and what kind of spaces they wanted. This new Googleplex was started from the inside out and not with the normal architectural design and then trying to fit the employees into the structure. What a novel idea, Google!
Even dogs come to work at Google
Although none of us actually pay much to Google directly, a lot of us have forked over cash to Apple for our iPhones, iPads, iMacs, iPods and so on. I just thought I’d like to show you how these 2 successful tech giants are spending some of that money and just how many employees these corporations have on their payrolls. Just remember it wasn’t that many years ago when there was no Apple or Google! What would the economy be like today without them??
Have a great Monday, and thanks again for visiting!
No comments:
Post a Comment