New Apple Campus 2 tour highlights 'breathing' concrete, glass panels, power tech & more
A new tour of Apple's Campus 2 headquarters in Cupertino -- due to start operations in early 2017 -- offers a close-up glimpse of the building's progress, and some of its unique architectural details.
The company's hired construction crews are still installing the approximately 3,000 glass panes the building will use, many measuring between 36 and 46 feet wide and 10-and-a-half feet long, Popular Science reported. That's said to be over twice the length of the biggest standard glass pane, and Apple's heaviest weigh some 7,000 pounds.
Inside, the company is installing 4,300 unique concrete slabs, which will not only double as floor and ceiling but serve as part of the building's natural air conditioning system. Each is hollow to allow air circulation, and while Apple will have powered climate control, that option is intended mainly to serve as a fallback.
Much of Campus 2 is said to be built on an enormous scale. The structure's restaurant doors alone are 92 feet tall, and weight a collective 330 tons.
Pop Sci noted that the complex's rooftop solar panels should generate 16 megawatts of power, backed by an additional 4 megawatts from biogas fuel cells. This should cover three-quarters of the energy Apple needs during core work hours, the rest being supplied by Monterey County and First Solar through a 130-megawatt solar project.
Construction on Campus 2, valued at $5 billion or more, is expected to finish by the end of 2016. The company recently committed to moving all of its 2017 press events out of 1 Infinite Loop.
The company's hired construction crews are still installing the approximately 3,000 glass panes the building will use, many measuring between 36 and 46 feet wide and 10-and-a-half feet long, Popular Science reported. That's said to be over twice the length of the biggest standard glass pane, and Apple's heaviest weigh some 7,000 pounds.
Inside, the company is installing 4,300 unique concrete slabs, which will not only double as floor and ceiling but serve as part of the building's natural air conditioning system. Each is hollow to allow air circulation, and while Apple will have powered climate control, that option is intended mainly to serve as a fallback.
Much of Campus 2 is said to be built on an enormous scale. The structure's restaurant doors alone are 92 feet tall, and weight a collective 330 tons.
Pop Sci noted that the complex's rooftop solar panels should generate 16 megawatts of power, backed by an additional 4 megawatts from biogas fuel cells. This should cover three-quarters of the energy Apple needs during core work hours, the rest being supplied by Monterey County and First Solar through a 130-megawatt solar project.
Construction on Campus 2, valued at $5 billion or more, is expected to finish by the end of 2016. The company recently committed to moving all of its 2017 press events out of 1 Infinite Loop.
Comments
width and length are synonymous in this case. I assume PopSci means "10-and-a-half feet tall" (height)
Still; pretty awesome stuff.
Also, forget where I read; but they built that glass installation machine just for the purpose of installing these panels.
This facility seems so huge, I wonder how efficient it will be for employees: how long will it take from the time they drive onto the campus until they arrive at their desks? How long to get from one side of the building to the other, to meet with another employee or have a group meeting? How long to get to and from the cafeteria? How long to get out of the place at night when large numbers of people might be leaving at once? These are all things that can substantially eat into hours actually worked, but more importantly, eat into morale. On the other hand, if the campus works and if it's a beautiful place to work, that can raise morale and productivity. Will it increase interaction, as Steve suggested it would, or decrease it?
And while if the passive AC works, that would be fantastic and while this is relatively cool Northern California, I wonder how effective it's really going to be especially if all that glass causes an internal greenhouse effect. This building seems so complex that I bet there's going to be a long shake-out period. This isn't your standard steel, brick, glass, sheetrock, HVAC, electrical lines construction in a rectangle that every commercial construction company knows how to do.
What that guy said:
Crappy iPhone 5S (zoomed in 100%) pic of Apple Campus 2 as seen on Thursday just after takeoff out of San Jose International.
Related.
Nice find, thanks... and yes, 'related' also as a testament to beautiful design and a superb manufacturing process.
I wish there could be a book on all the design details and construction of Apple Campus 2.
I'm pretty sure that the people who designed Cook's spectacles are not the same people working on Apple products. What's your point?
The maximum walking distance from one place to another in the building would be around 2500 feet, 10 minutes, though I assume that people will be organized in such a way that very few people would have to walk that distance for a meeting. There are several cafes in the building so not every one would need to go to the cafeteria if they are in a hurry.
For those who have an underground parking space it will probably not take very long to leave. For the other parking structure it is quite a long walk, but I imagine that there will eventually be some sort of shuttle in campus.
Yes, because when they decided to spend $6billion on a building in an earthquake zone, they chose to get advice from structural engineers and architects, rather than a random bods on AppleInsider.
What the hell were they thinking??
I'm one of the random bods obviously, but at least I tried a basic internet search: is Apple Campus 2 earthquake proof.
And to the surprise of no one, it is, because the building codes require it. That's right: it's the law. Many buildings in the area have been retrofitted to make the grade.
http://wow-webmagazine.com/apple-campus-2-the-construction-of-the-fosters-spaceship-in-cupertino-is-progressing#.V11O0Ff1-Ls
The building walls are constructed of earthquake-resistant materials which they would need to keep the glass in place. If one of those sheets slipped out of its mounts, then it could potentially kill hundreds.
The whole structure is mounted on base isolators designed to absorb the shock of an earthquake. The building will move on top of these isolators without collapsing. If it's a really big quake though, I reckon some people will vomit from the movement (that should keep the naysayers happy). These are apparently being retrofitted in buildings in the danger zone.
This one is a personal observation I would make which disagrees with yours. Rather than being a very tall, very thin pencil, the campus is a squat wide donut. That is much better shape for an earthquake zone. Aside from being stronger, it will make it a lot easier for rescue services if they don't have to retrieve people from very high up.
One aside I picked up: the campus will have a working fruit farm, so at least the workers will have something to eat while they're waiting for the president to make his disaster appearance.