Geekitecture

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” -Confucius Geekitecture – a new term I’ve just invented to describe the development of office space by new technology titans – is becoming a real trend. Apple, Facebook, Google, and Amazon are showing off innovative architectural plans for their impressive new headquarters’. These projects may look drastically different, but they have major commonalities, namely that they are focused on innovation, sustainability, collaboration, and beauty. By capturing the attention of the general public, these technology innovators are showing that they can transfer their design and development skills to physical plant as well as virtual products. Let’s take a look at a few of the projects planned. Apple is building a jaw-dropping 2.8 billion square feet spaceship-like corporate campus on approximately 176 acres, property that was previously owned by HP. Apple Campus 2 will be four stories high, encompassing a mix of office, research and development space and open land. It’s planned to accommodate up to 14,200 employees who will unfold their activity in a unified, secure and private campus which connects with outdoor opportunities for recreation, relaxation and reflection. The top priority for Apple’s project is the environment. The company is committed to power the campus with renewable energy, provided by fuel cells and approximately 8 megawatts of photovoltaics. This solar installation will be one of the largest in the world for a corporate campus. Some of the campus’ amenities are a striking restaurant, a Corporate Fitness Center of approximately 100,000 square feet, and a 1,000-seat Corporate Auditorium of around 120,000 square feet. The project replaces existing asphalt and hardscape with over 100 acres of landscaped green space. The professionals behind it are London architects Foster + Partners,...