New Apple Headquarters

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has submitted plans to build a new 150-acre campus in Cupertino, California, saying it could create “the best office building in the world.”
Jobs said Apple's current headquarters, 1 Infinite Loop, only holds 2,800 people and as the company hires 12,000 employees, Apple has been forced to rent buildings in its radius. As a result, the company needs another building to augment this but still wishes to remain in Cupertino.

The planned 150-acre campus will be located on the original home of HP’s computer systems division. The building will have 3.1 million square feet of space, compared to 3.8 million rentable space in the Willis building in Chicago. However, it will be only 4 stories high. The city of Cupertino does not have anything above 9 stories high at present.

The single building concept is relatively unique as well as the vast underground parking garage. It will allow most of the land to be a park. In comparison Microsoft’s main campus is 388 acres and includes 70 buildings.


The Hampton's Apartment complex completed in 1998, a 342-unit community, will virtually share the grounds with Apple Computers since they would not sell for a reasonable price.

Jobs presented the concept of the new campus yesterday at Cupertino City Hall. Watch the video. The city councilmen ask some pretty stupid question

Can it rotate and lift into orbit in case of earthquake? I bet it can.. Not as cool as the Steelcase headquarters building in MI. This place is gigantic and look great all lit up at night.

Quote: pacomartin

Jobs presented the concept of the new campus yesterday at Cupertino City Hall. Watch the video. The city councilmen ask some pretty stupid question

WHAT video?

Cupertino City Council.
It is funny video since the idea that the city council would reject Apple computer from building a 3 million square foot building to replace a Hewlett Packard campus is ludicrous. The fiscal health of the city obviously depends on Apple computers.

But knowing that Steve Jobs was giving the presentation, some of the city councilman clearly want to get their personal opinions aired even though they are ridiculous. One asked if Steve would give the city free wi-fi. He said he would be happy to give them free wi-fi if they took away his taxes. Another asks if Steve would open an Apple Store in Cupertino, to which he answers obviously they would if they thought that it would make money. Another asks about a cement plant that is four miles away which has been operating for over 50 years. Another asks if the building will be "safe". Steve Jobs answers that they are trying to build the most amazing corporate office in the world. Why would they build it to be unsafe?

One of the problems with these "ring" designs (the Pentagon comes to mind), is that they are actually inefficient, if you need to get from one side to the other. Vertical floors connected by stairs and elevators are much quicker to get around.

Vegas should try and get some one to occupy the large tracts of land at the North end of the strip and fill 'em with office space ;)

Quote: thecesspit

Vegas should try and get some one to occupy the large tracts of land at the North end of the strip and fill 'em with office space ;)

There is actually no need to build on empty (or dug out) tracts. There is plenty of already built, fairly new, buildings waiting for occupants... anyone...

Quote: Ayecarumba

One of the problems with these "ring" designs (the Pentagon comes to mind), is that they are actually inefficient, if you need to get from one side to the other. Vertical floors connected by stairs and elevators are much quicker to get around.

I agree, If there are no connectors across the middle, I see walks of over 3440' to get to the other side. I am basing on a building 1/4 mile in outside diameter (which seems to fit the site plan), and 225' wide (which seems to fit 3.1 million sq feet over 4 floors).

Quote: Ayecarumba

One of the problems with these "ring" designs (the Pentagon comes to mind), is that they are actually inefficient, if you need to get from one side to the other.

Inefficiency getting around can mean efficiency in keeping secret projects secret

Quote: Nareed

Inefficiency getting around can mean efficiency in keeping secret projects secret

I also agree with that comment. Although the center of the building shows trees, I suppose that he could put a conference facility inside. That way he can do demonstrations for the whole company (12K-13K people standing) without concern about outside cameras. He can sweep for internal cameras. Although people can talk, sometimes it is the photographic evidence what he is concerned about.

However, I doubt secrecy is a big part of the design.

The plan is also to generate 80% of the power needed to run the complex on their own. It may be using all of the glass area for solar collection. Frankly if you are going to claim a building is the "best office building in the world" then most workspaces need to be near a view. Although there are supposedly four floors, they may be 16'-20' tall.

Maybe it will have a moving walkway running the circumference at least on the fourth floor. That way if you are on the 3rd floor you can go up one floor and around, or if you are on the 2nd floor you can go down one floor and walk across the center.

I assume that there will be huge virtual conferencing centers around the facility

Quote: EvenBob

Can it rotate and lift into orbit in case of earthquake? I bet it can.. Not as cool as the Steelcase headquarters building in MI. This place is gigantic and look great all lit up at night.

The Apple headquarter is about 5 times the size of the Steelcase building. Not really a good comparison.

Steelcase has 6 floors. The 3rd is 328' by 328', the 4th is 266' by 266' the 5th is 195' by 195', and the 6th is 121' by 121'. So if you hate all this egalitarian shit in companies, as CEO you can take over the top floor and be HMFIC.

Quote: Ayecarumba

One of the problems with these "ring" designs (the Pentagon comes to mind), is that they are actually inefficient, if you need to get from one side to the other. Vertical floors connected by stairs and elevators are much quicker to get around.

The Pentagon is actually very efficient, something like no two offices more than 10 minutes apart (probably less, I forget exactly) in about the largest office building in the world.