Apple reportedly taking eco-friendly 'campus approach' with upcoming Austin facility
With construction of Apple's $304 million Austin, Tex. complex underway, one website has reportedly come across new build plans for the site, revealing additional details about the campus' layout.

Reported rendering of Apple's Austin, Tex. campus. | Source: AustinTowers
According to a rendering of the campus acquired by local condo website AustinTowers, Apple has made a number of adjustments from the original layout created by the development company in charge designing the Riata Vista Circle property.
As AppleInsider previously reported, two of Apple's seven planned buildings are already under construction as part of the project's first phase, which will cost an estimated $56 million. In addition to the 200,000 square feet covered by the initial buildings, five other structures are said to be in the works, increasing the total area covered to some one million square feet.
Further details include the replacement of surface parking spaces with three garages capable of accommodating hold 5,500 vehicles. The website claims Apple is using a so-called "Fast Track" permit to have at least one of the parking garages completed in time for the first building's opening.
Other enhancements include the replacement of traditional driveways with pedestrian courts and corridors, reducing the amount of concrete and asphalt from 80 percent to 55 percent.
Construction of Apple's Austin campus, which will be home to the company's Americas Operations Center, is scheduled for completion by the end of 2021. The new facility will create an estimated 3,600 jobs, more than doubling Apple's existing workforce in the city.

Reported rendering of Apple's Austin, Tex. campus. | Source: AustinTowers
According to a rendering of the campus acquired by local condo website AustinTowers, Apple has made a number of adjustments from the original layout created by the development company in charge designing the Riata Vista Circle property.
As AppleInsider previously reported, two of Apple's seven planned buildings are already under construction as part of the project's first phase, which will cost an estimated $56 million. In addition to the 200,000 square feet covered by the initial buildings, five other structures are said to be in the works, increasing the total area covered to some one million square feet.
Further details include the replacement of surface parking spaces with three garages capable of accommodating hold 5,500 vehicles. The website claims Apple is using a so-called "Fast Track" permit to have at least one of the parking garages completed in time for the first building's opening.
Other enhancements include the replacement of traditional driveways with pedestrian courts and corridors, reducing the amount of concrete and asphalt from 80 percent to 55 percent.
Construction of Apple's Austin campus, which will be home to the company's Americas Operations Center, is scheduled for completion by the end of 2021. The new facility will create an estimated 3,600 jobs, more than doubling Apple's existing workforce in the city.
Comments
Wonder. Will there be a Dell, Gateway or IBM PC in one of the buildings?
I think it's highly likely. Those companies make a lot of business equipment. They may even have a Machine that uses Windows embedded for the OS just like they used to have Motorola's Symbol handheld PoS systems at Apple Stores. Outside of public view there is little reason to have Apple's HW and OS run a 3rd-party machine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris_CA
% of what?
Most likely percent coverage by area, 100% = every square inch paved over.
Originally Posted by Chris_CA
% of what?
Of the land area of the facility, I'd think, yes?
Think about this. You use your phone enough that you need to charge it 2x a day and yet you want solar charging. Consider how much downtime your phone would have do to the amount of time it would take a 8 square inch panel to charge a 1440 mAh battery. Now consider that this solar panel would be on the back so you'd have to keep it upside down in order for it to charge.
If I were you I'd wonder why the best in class smartphone can't go one-half of a waking day without the battery dying on you. If you can't think of why you're inadvertently wasting your battery life (like being in area for prolonged periods that have so little cellular connectivity that the phone has to boost its antenna power) that you might want to consider a Mophie JuicePack or some other accessory for your unique situation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xtacee1990
Apple make an iphone that has solar charging. Sick of charging it at least 2 times a day. (iphone5's battery is great compared to other Android top phones but still not enough for a heavy user like me. And no Note 2 and its pathetic dimly lit SAMOLED screen)
If you knew anything about solar charging, you'd know how insanely ridiculous your demand is. Ignorance is bliss I guess. Solar tech is nowhere NEAR being able to power a smartphone, not now, and probably not in a decade. There's also the fact that, you know, most people don't have their phone sitting in sunlight all day. They're either in pockets or indoors.
Either way, for most people the iPhone battery is more than fine. Whatever the next step is for battery tech, it wont be solar.
So stop streaming YouTube videos and Pandora nonstop using LTE will you?
Jeez, you're like those folks that bought Hummers, only to complain about the gas mileage.
The problem is that few people have their phones in sunlight all day. You can, however, easily buy an external battery pack for your phone if you're a heavy user. The battery pack clips to the back of the phone and adds only a modest amount of bulk.
This is absolutely false.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Solar-Battery-Charger-for-iPhone-iPod-and-USB-Devices-Black-/251222552520?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item3a7e07efc8
They claim that it's possible to get a full charge from solar in 7.5 hours. That means that if your system were in sunlight for 7.5 hours per day, you'd roughly double your run time - which is what xtacee was asking.
Your second complaint was legitimate - that few people have their phones in the sun very much of the day, but there's nothing about solar technology itself that makes it impossible.
Maybe in devices shipped, but not in profits. Sorry, but Apple owns the profit on that one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by konqerror
Most likely percent coverage by area, 100% = every square inch paved over.
Yeah here in Austin we refer to that as "impervious cover". They try to keep the coverage as low as possible to encourage rainwater infiltration into the aquifers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flaneur
Apple doesn't seem to realize that its period of growth is over and that it's now in decline. Android is winning.¡
One question, is Android "winning" like Charlie Sheen "winning"?
Quote:
Originally Posted by msimpson
One question, is Android "winning" like Charlie Sheen "winning"?
How the heck does any reference to Android get in this discussion too.
Too many people with too many fixations I suppose. Worse, the off-topic references aren't even coming from "Androiders" (as Anantksundaram calls 'em)
Both are prone to viruses but only one is profitable.
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Both are prone to viruses but only one is profitable.