Latest aerial footage of Apple's Campus 2 shows start of work on 'spaceship's' garden & pond
The latest drone footage of Apple's new "Spaceship" headquarters under construction shows a much more complete structure, plus the start of work on niceties in the center of the facility and elsewhere.
Previous videos have shown the interior structure of the building, which is now shown as partially clad by the curved glass panels, measuring up to 46 feet wide, and 10.5 feet long.
Other work progression shown in the video includes near-completion of the parking structure with the buried facility in the process of being covered by dirt, the start of the security stand, and the beginning of the artificial pond creation in the open core of the headquarters.
The video also shows the start of work on satellite facilities to the main campus, such as research centers, and the maintenance structure. Additionally, more solar arrays are in the process of being installed, with a large number staged for the remainder of installation on the roof of the main headquarters, and elsewhere.
In 2011, Steve Jobs announced the project to the world, saying over 12,000 employees would work in the 2.8-million-square-foot "Spaceship" structure. Edible landscaping, walking paths, and other "green" improvements are in the process of construction, to minimize the impact the facility makes on the environment.
Apple's related Phase 2 adjacent project adds additional workspace, and includes a renewable energy-powered small data center.
Apple's microgrid is reportedly capable of handling about 75 percent of Campus 2 power requirements during work hours, supplemented by Bloom Energy-provided fuel cells. Bloom Energy provided similar cells, currently in use at Apple's North Carolina data center.
Campus 2 is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.
Previous videos have shown the interior structure of the building, which is now shown as partially clad by the curved glass panels, measuring up to 46 feet wide, and 10.5 feet long.
Other work progression shown in the video includes near-completion of the parking structure with the buried facility in the process of being covered by dirt, the start of the security stand, and the beginning of the artificial pond creation in the open core of the headquarters.
The video also shows the start of work on satellite facilities to the main campus, such as research centers, and the maintenance structure. Additionally, more solar arrays are in the process of being installed, with a large number staged for the remainder of installation on the roof of the main headquarters, and elsewhere.
In 2011, Steve Jobs announced the project to the world, saying over 12,000 employees would work in the 2.8-million-square-foot "Spaceship" structure. Edible landscaping, walking paths, and other "green" improvements are in the process of construction, to minimize the impact the facility makes on the environment.
Apple's related Phase 2 adjacent project adds additional workspace, and includes a renewable energy-powered small data center.
Apple's microgrid is reportedly capable of handling about 75 percent of Campus 2 power requirements during work hours, supplemented by Bloom Energy-provided fuel cells. Bloom Energy provided similar cells, currently in use at Apple's North Carolina data center.
Campus 2 is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.
Comments
Imagine the products that will come out of this place over the next fifty years
My guess looking at the video would be more like April move-in at the earliest.
That's the big challenge ahead for Tim Cook, to make sure that Apple can attract and retain the people with the best minds, skills, and dedication to work inside this grand palace. The wow factor and impressiveness of the building will bring attention and job seekers but it's the ordinary and everyday things that take place within the hull of this supership that will determine whether people stick around.
I think it will work out, but my biggest concern about this showplace and others is that it creates a pseudo universe and distances employees further from the customers they serve. It also encourages employees to spend too much time at work away from their families, friends, and the real world. Hopefully Tim and his leadership staff will keep everyone grounded in reality and make sure employees have balance in their lives and don't get physically, mentally, or morally lost in the vastness of the glassy monolith.
For the whole site I think it is more likely the end 2017 as some of the buildings shown were only just coming out of the ground with just a few columns If they have a phased opening and there was no conflict with the remaining building works then I agree that the main office could be ready in about 9 months. If they are using "pods" constructed off site for the installation of things like the toilets this could dramatically speed up the internal fitting out and shorten the completion time.
I don't think you need to be concerned. We had the privilege of interfacing most of the team that were developing the original Mac before it was announced. They often wore T-Shirts saying Working 100 hours [a week] and Loving it. They came together for a project they really believed in, gave it their total commitment to bring it to market. Some had families but I believe the families did not suffer -- rather were supportive of their passions. In a way, it's like giving birth -- the time for celebration and socializing comes later.
If you want to learn about what inspires employees to perform like this, I suggest the timeless book: "The Soul of a New Machine".
By the way, "dirt" is something that you get on yourself or on your clothes and needs to be washed off.
The parking area will be covered by layers of earth.
Now check out their own stated timeline on the Cupertino city website.
Not only does it seem like it's all on-schedule, but ahead of schedule. That isn't to say that there haven't been or won't be some delays (things happen), but so far, the material that I believe would have caused the biggest time delays—the specialized curved glass—hasn't had an issue despite Apple relying on a single company in Bavaria to make and ship them to Cupertino.
Why can't you can't imagine that that a single section of the ring will have glass on both sides, HVAC, electrical, water, sewage, and elevators in working order, a proper network setup, be furnished, and be ready for a small team to work from for testing sometime this year. And now consider that Apple isn't just building a single ring, but many building, which also could allow for some workers to make the shift from 1 Infinity Loop or another site to test the situation before the all sections, rooms, and floors are complete.