It’s move-in month for employees working at Apple Campus 2, the company’s buzz-worthy, flying saucer-like building located in Cupertino, California.
Designed by UK architects Foster + Partners, the centrally-located park surrounded by a circular shape structure was a design evolution said to be inspired by London Square, where similarly, houses surround a park.
With a circumference of more than one mile, the ring-shaped building is set to become the home of up to 13,000 employees. Featuring glass walls on both sides of the ring, employees will benefit from lots of natural light and views of the outside environment. It has been estimated that nearly 3.75 miles of glass was used to complete the structure. It will also have the largest freestanding carbon-fiber roof ever constructed. The actual shape of the building posed its own challenges. Groups that work together had to be within close proximity, both horizontally and vertically as the building is four stories high.
In addition to employee workstations, the building houses research facilities, underground parking, a fitness center, cafes, an auditorium and a restaurant. The surrounding landscaping (set to complete in Q2 2017) will feature 7,000 trees, mostly apricot, as well as walking paths, outdoor dining and bike trails. To encourage use of the trails, Apple plans to keep 1,000 bikes on campus available for employee use.
Ambitious Environmental Sustainability Goals
The construction process was engineered to meet Apple’s environmental sustainability goals. Apple Campus 2 generates power by using 100% renewable energy, such as solar power and bio fuels. 75% of the year, it is expected to be able to keep a comfortable interior temperature through the use of a fresh air ventilation system. The campus even recycles its own water. More than 90% of the old building from was reused in the construction of Apple Campus 2.
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By Dicklyon (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
