Apple planning massive 12,000 employee 'spaceship' campus in Cupertino
The day after giving a keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple CEO Steve Jobs presented the company's plans for a second campus in Cupertino, Calif., which would feature a round building that would hold 12,000 Apple employees, to the city council.
"Apple's grown like a weed. And, as you know, we've always been in Cupertino. Started in a little office park and eventually got the buildings we are in now," Jobs said, as first noted by TechCrunch adding that the current campus at One Infinite Loop holds about 2,600 employees.
According to Jobs, Apple has almost 12,000 people in the area and has been forced to rent buildings "at an ever greater radius" form its headquarters. The new office building would augment the Infinite Loop facilities, rather than replacing them.
Apple has purchased roughly 150 acres for the new campus, with the bulk of the land coming from a land purchase from Hewlett Packard along Pruneridge Ave. Jobs noted that the land is "kind of special" to him because HP founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard were childhood "idols" of his.
"When I was 13, I called up Bill Hewlett because he lived in Palo Alto and there were no unlisted phone numbers in the phone book, which gives you a clue to my age," Jobs reminisced. "And he picked up the phone and I talked to him and asked him if he'd give me some spare parts for something I was building called a frequency counter. And he did, but in addition to that, he gave me something way more important. He gave me a job that summer, a summer job at Hewlett Packard right here in Santa Clara off 280 at the division that built frequency counters. And I was in heaven.
"As Hewlett Packard has been shrinking lately, they decided to sell off some property and we bought it," he continued.
Jobs said Apple had hired some of the best architects in the world to work on the design of the new campus. Apple expects to break ground on the facility next year in hopes of opening the campus in 2015.
"It's a little like a spaceship landed. "It's got this gorgeous courtyard in the middle, but it's got a lot more," Jobs said when he unveiled the design, noting later that Apple may "have a shot at building the best office building in the world. I think it could be that good."
"It's a circle, and so it's curved all the way around. There's not a straight piece of glass in this building. We've used our experience in building retail buildings all over the world. We know how to make the biggest pieces of glass for architectural use."
Jobs highlighted the fact that the new campus would consist of 80 percent landscaping, compared to the land's current ratio of 20 percent. Apple would nearly double the number of trees on the property from 3,700 to 6,000.
The facility and adjacent parking structure would be only four stories high in order to preserve the "human scale" of the campus. Apple also plans to supply its own power, using the city grid as backup.
The campus would have an auditorium for presentations, as well as a fitness center and separate R&D facilities. The space would take up 3.1 million square feet, with a main building footprint of 1 million square feet.
Mayor Gilbert Wong remarked after Jobs' presentation that "definitely the mother ship has landed here in Cupertino."
When asked what benefits city residents would gain from the campus, Jobs reminded the council that Apple is Cupertino's largest tax payer. "We'd like to continue to stay here and pay taxes. If we can't, we'd have to go somewhere like Mountain View and take our current people and over years sell the land."
Jobs also pointed out that Apple "employs some really talented people across the whole age spectrum." He described Apple employees as "fairly affluent" and likely to live near the campus.
When one councilwoman asked if free Wi-Fi for the city was a possibility, Jobs replied, "I'm a simpleton, I've always had this view that we pay taxes and the city pays to do this kind of thing. Now if we can get out of taxes, I'd be happy to put up Wi-Fi."
Apple's current campus, left; Proposed facility, right
Apple had originally planned a smaller 50-acre second campus intended to house 3,000 to 3,500 employees, but was held up during the rezoning process. In 2009, the rezoning of the Pruneridge Ave property from residential to industrial use was approved. In 2010, Apple purchased the adjacent 98-acre HP property.
"Apple's grown like a weed. And, as you know, we've always been in Cupertino. Started in a little office park and eventually got the buildings we are in now," Jobs said, as first noted by TechCrunch adding that the current campus at One Infinite Loop holds about 2,600 employees.
According to Jobs, Apple has almost 12,000 people in the area and has been forced to rent buildings "at an ever greater radius" form its headquarters. The new office building would augment the Infinite Loop facilities, rather than replacing them.
Apple has purchased roughly 150 acres for the new campus, with the bulk of the land coming from a land purchase from Hewlett Packard along Pruneridge Ave. Jobs noted that the land is "kind of special" to him because HP founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard were childhood "idols" of his.
"When I was 13, I called up Bill Hewlett because he lived in Palo Alto and there were no unlisted phone numbers in the phone book, which gives you a clue to my age," Jobs reminisced. "And he picked up the phone and I talked to him and asked him if he'd give me some spare parts for something I was building called a frequency counter. And he did, but in addition to that, he gave me something way more important. He gave me a job that summer, a summer job at Hewlett Packard right here in Santa Clara off 280 at the division that built frequency counters. And I was in heaven.
"As Hewlett Packard has been shrinking lately, they decided to sell off some property and we bought it," he continued.
Jobs said Apple had hired some of the best architects in the world to work on the design of the new campus. Apple expects to break ground on the facility next year in hopes of opening the campus in 2015.
"It's a little like a spaceship landed. "It's got this gorgeous courtyard in the middle, but it's got a lot more," Jobs said when he unveiled the design, noting later that Apple may "have a shot at building the best office building in the world. I think it could be that good."
"It's a circle, and so it's curved all the way around. There's not a straight piece of glass in this building. We've used our experience in building retail buildings all over the world. We know how to make the biggest pieces of glass for architectural use."
Jobs highlighted the fact that the new campus would consist of 80 percent landscaping, compared to the land's current ratio of 20 percent. Apple would nearly double the number of trees on the property from 3,700 to 6,000.
The facility and adjacent parking structure would be only four stories high in order to preserve the "human scale" of the campus. Apple also plans to supply its own power, using the city grid as backup.
The campus would have an auditorium for presentations, as well as a fitness center and separate R&D facilities. The space would take up 3.1 million square feet, with a main building footprint of 1 million square feet.
Mayor Gilbert Wong remarked after Jobs' presentation that "definitely the mother ship has landed here in Cupertino."
When asked what benefits city residents would gain from the campus, Jobs reminded the council that Apple is Cupertino's largest tax payer. "We'd like to continue to stay here and pay taxes. If we can't, we'd have to go somewhere like Mountain View and take our current people and over years sell the land."
Jobs also pointed out that Apple "employs some really talented people across the whole age spectrum." He described Apple employees as "fairly affluent" and likely to live near the campus.
When one councilwoman asked if free Wi-Fi for the city was a possibility, Jobs replied, "I'm a simpleton, I've always had this view that we pay taxes and the city pays to do this kind of thing. Now if we can get out of taxes, I'd be happy to put up Wi-Fi."
Apple's current campus, left; Proposed facility, right
Apple had originally planned a smaller 50-acre second campus intended to house 3,000 to 3,500 employees, but was held up during the rezoning process. In 2009, the rezoning of the Pruneridge Ave property from residential to industrial use was approved. In 2010, Apple purchased the adjacent 98-acre HP property.
Comments
Can you say eminent domain for Cupertino's largest taxpayer?
The irony is that it really is a spaceship! Powered by magic and stuff!
Ha ha! Apple has access to alien technology, now it all makes sense
Can you say eminent domain for Cupertino's largest taxpayer?
I can say Fortress of Solitude, with minions. Did he say they were going to build it or land it?
The new Aviva stadium here in Dublin also looks like a giant glass-covered spaceship that has just plonked down in a low-rise residential area. There are prettier angles than this but it looks awesome looming above small little houses with nothing else in the skyline.
And the apartment complex in the corner is not for sale?
Can you say eminent domain for Cupertino's largest taxpayer?
Wondered the same thing. But that does take time. Law suits etc.
This won't be an easy permit process. Dirt haul way, power plant rules, traffic flow to streets etc etc. It's not like it's some farm land in the country side. How ever, most smart cities work with companies during the design phase to iron those things out. Sounds like they have started that.
That aside... Looks great.
The concept looks spectacular. I really love how Apple are trying to return so much of the surface land back to its indigenous state. The building really looks like it's sharing the land with nature rather than dominating it.
This is exactly what modern companies should be doing with their new buildings.
And the apartment complex in the corner is not for sale?
Can you say eminent domain for Cupertino's largest taxpayer?
The owner of that apartment complex has just realized he owns some if the most valuable apartment buildings in California. He was smart by not selling. The only bad part for now will be the deafening construction noise while they are contructing that huge building.
Will be a work of art when it's done!
Seems to me, he's doing the same thing at Apple. He's going to leave them a building which embodies his notions of how Apple should be configured in order to thrive.
Infinite Loop was designed and in place prior to Job's return.
Absolutely stunning. This man's vision will continue long into the future.
This looks stunning. I can't help but think how happy people will be working here which will mean better products due to inspiration.
Can someone give me a green card? I would like to work as a product tester. If gear can survive a month with me it's awesome. My MacBook Pro lasted 3 years with me until a couple of weeks ago now thanks to insurance I have a brand spanking new 15" MBP which just feels like it will survive me.
Damn his presentation was better than the WWDC Keynote!!! All the jokes about making the thinnest and best office campus came true!!!
Oh Gawd, embarrassing immigrant Chinese woman (I'm half ethnic-Chinese so trust me, it's bloody embarrassing) asking for free WiFi and iPads... WTF. Apple builds the best campus in the world and their expected to give everyone in the city free WiFi and iPads?
``We think the tax revenue we bring is more than the free wifi, but we'll be glad to give you free wifi in exchange of our tax revenue.''
Classic Steve.
Does that mean everyone will have a window view and not just some have a view of the window?
This looks stunning. I can't help but think how happy people will be working here which will mean better products due to inspiration.
Can someone give me a green card? I would like to work as a product tester. If gear can survive a month with me it's awesome. My MacBook Pro lasted 3 years with me until a couple of weeks ago now thanks to insurance I have a brand spanking new 15" MBP which just feels like it will survive me.
It'll mean that quite a few offices in between the inner and outer radii will have columns and curved/frosted partial glass you can count on that, not to mention clean rooms will be in other hidden areas.
I can imagine that Infinite Loop will really turn into the off-campus skunk works campus.
But certainly the councillors were almost squealing like schoolgirls, how many office campuses put a smile on their face like that.
This whole thing was like William Shatner going to some Star Trek nerd's basement to help out in a scene they were recreating (ala Galaxy Quest).
You can imagine the only reason why Apple is in Cupertino is because Steve grew up there and doesn't want to move. As hinted by some of the councillors, one can only imagine what other mayors, governors and heads of states of all kinds of countries would have offered Steve. For example ILM has a Singapore office now, met a guy that just moved there from the SF Bay Area when I went on holiday to a popular Malaysian island (not too far from Singapore).