Latest Apple Campus 2 construction video highlights glass install, fuel cells

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion
New aerial footage of Apple's Campus 2 shows the glass panel installation surrounding the main building near complete, and installation of more power stations across the facility.




The interior of the Apple Campus is now completely obscured by the massive curved glass panels custom fabricated for the project that measure up to 46 feet wide, and 10.5 feet long.

Other work progression shown in the video includes a massive array of bicycle parking, fuel cell installations near the highway next to the campus, further progress on other support buildings on adjacent Tantau Avenue, and most of the HVAC installations complete. Additionally, the parking garage appears to be almost ready for use, with paving complete on bridges and ramps.

The new auditorium's lobby was just framed out in the last video, and is now completely clad. Buried structures on campus are nearly obscured, with a corresponding decrease in the stories-high dirt pile used for the task.



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" measures are being implemented construction, to minimize the overall impact the facility makes on the environment.

Apple's related Phase 2 project adds additional workspace adjacent to the "Spaceship," and includes a renewable energy-powered small data center.

A new micro-grid installed on the campus is reportedly capable of handling about 75 percent of the facility's power requirements during work hours, supplemented by Bloom Energy-provided fuel cells. Bloom Energy provided similar cells to Apple previously for use at the North Carolina data center.

Campus 2 is expected to be completed by the end of 2016, with the satellite facilities' construction extending into 2017.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 33
    JinTechJinTech Posts: 1,066member
    I'm really starting to think every two or three months would be a good update. It looks almost as it did last month. Incredible construction feats none the less!
    edited September 2016 ireland
  • Reply 2 of 33
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Looking forward to future announcement events taking place in the new theatre.
  • Reply 3 of 33
    teaearlegreyhotteaearlegreyhot Posts: 1,013member
    Can we please stop calling it a "spaceship" now?  Thank you.
  • Reply 4 of 33
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    1) The most attractive use of solar panels I've ever seen.

    2) Construction foam is neat, but I thought the ground above the underground auditorium was going to be flat, not raised. I'm guessing that change from the original mockups is so that people and equipment are less likely to congregate and add additional weigh to its ceiling.
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 5 of 33
    tangeytangey Posts: 31member
    If there is going to be an opneing concert here, it definitely has to be ELO.
    tdknoxstompySpamSandwichradarthekatartdentericthehalfbeejony0
  • Reply 6 of 33
    welshdogwelshdog Posts: 1,914member
    Couple of things: The maintenance center looks completely inadequate for such a massive facility. Hope they leak tested the roof before installing all that solar, because fixing it afterward would be a nightmare. Appears all the HVAC equipment and maybe other bulky facility stuff (electrical, water etc.) will all be on roof maximizing interior space - brilliant move for a mild climate building such as this. Edible landscaping is great, but fruit trees are a pain to clean up after if all the fruit is not eaten. The shade structures on the outside look amazing and you can now really see how they will keep the sun off the skin of the building.
  • Reply 7 of 33
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    teaearlegreyhot said:
    Can we please stop calling it a "spaceship" now?  Thank you.
    What's wrong with that nickname?
    tycho24jbdragon
  • Reply 8 of 33
    stompystompy Posts: 411member
    AppleInsider said:
    New aerial footage of Apple's Campus 2 ....
    I always have to check out Duncan Sinfield's AC2 updates, they're almost always my favorites.

    (sorry this is just a link and not embedded video, I'd normally just figure out how to do it, but I really need to get back to work
    :blush: )
    Soli
  • Reply 9 of 33
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    welshdog said:
    Couple of things: The maintenance center looks completely inadequate for such a massive facility. Hope they leak tested the roof before installing all that solar, because fixing it afterward would be a nightmare.
    I haven't seen that as an issue since the solar panels are above the actual roof. It would also serve as helping to deflect most of the rain from the roof and help keep the HVAC and other equipment from wind, rain, and sun damage.
    propod
  • Reply 10 of 33
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Stunning!
  • Reply 11 of 33
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member

    stompy said:
    AppleInsider said:
    New aerial footage of Apple's Campus 2 ....
    I always have to check out Duncan Sinfield's AC2 updates, they're almost always my favorites.

    (sorry this is just a link and not embedded video, I'd normally just figure out how to do it, but I really need to get back to work
    :blush: )
    1) His videos are great.

    2) They've already started planting trees, something I didn't notice in the other video.

    3) It's amazing how far they've come in a year. They are surely on schedule to get some people in offices by the year's end.

    4) To embed a video all you need to do it post the YouTube link by itself. No markup required.
  • Reply 12 of 33
    welshdogwelshdog Posts: 1,914member
    Soli said:
    welshdog said:
    Couple of things: The maintenance center looks completely inadequate for such a massive facility. Hope they leak tested the roof before installing all that solar, because fixing it afterward would be a nightmare.
    I haven't seen that as an issue since the solar panels are above the actual roof. It would also serve as helping to deflect most of the rain from the roof and help keep the HVAC and other equipment from wind, rain, and sun damage.
    Adding solar on top of the roof adds penetrations. Every roof penetration is a potential leak point.  However, I now remember seeing the space under the roof in previous videos and I think it's concrete which would be sloped and drained.  So leaking is probably irrelevant in this instance.
  • Reply 13 of 33
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    stompy said:

    I always have to check out Duncan Sinfield's AC2 updates, they're almost always my favorites.

    https://youtu.be/gBTar9-E6n0
    On this occasion Duncan's video was better. Nicer shots of the main structure.
    patchythepirate
  • Reply 14 of 33
    stompystompy Posts: 411member
    Soli said:

    (sorry this is just a link and not embedded video, I'd normally just figure out how to do it, but I really need to get back to work
    :blush: )
    .
    .
    .
    4) To embed a video all you need to do it post the YouTube link by itself. No markup required.
    Thanks for the tip! (As you can probably guess from the multiple duplicate posts -- thanks AI -- I tried to preview a couple different things first, then gave up. 
  • Reply 15 of 33
    aeronprometheusaeronprometheus Posts: 151member
    I really hope Apple has been taking time-lapse photos this whole time.
  • Reply 16 of 33
    boredumbboredumb Posts: 1,418member
    Taken on a weekend?  Even if people were working weekends, this isn't going to be ready for staff this year.
    asdasd
  • Reply 17 of 33
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    boredumb said:
    Taken on a weekend?  Even if people were working weekends, this isn't going to be ready for staff this year.
    Why not? Did you notice that nearly all the windows are in place, as well as all the wiring and HVAC, and then compare it to what it was a year ago, or even a few months ago? No one is saying that the entire facility will be completed and that the grounds will done, but they could easily get a section one floor operational for a small group to start working within 1/3rd of a year's time.
    edited September 2016 nolamacguy
  • Reply 18 of 33
    cogitodextercogitodexter Posts: 196member
    boredumb said:
    Taken on a weekend?  Even if people were working weekends, this isn't going to be ready for staff this year.
    You'd be surprised how quickly an interior fit-out can be completed. Yes, it's a big site, but all that's needed is an army of people. I wouldn't be remotely surprised if the interiors are already in progress in some segments of the building.

    Many skyscrapers will have their lower floors occupied while the top floors are still bare concrete remember. On this campus, there's *plenty* of room for that sort of thing.
  • Reply 19 of 33
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,939member
    boredumb said:
    Taken on a weekend?  Even if people were working weekends, this isn't going to be ready for staff this year.
    They're working on this 7 days a week with 12 hr days Mon-Fri and 9hr days doing the weekends. Interior work shouldn't take nearly as long as the exterior with many many steel beams, tons of panels of glass going up, HVAC, solar panels, foundation work, etc. All of that takes a long time compared to any interior work. Plus, they can be doing some interior work now as a lot of the building is fully enclosed. No need to wait until the entire exterior is done to start working on the interior. 

    http://www.cupertino.org/index.aspx?page=1223
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 20 of 33
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    macxpress said:
    boredumb said:
    Taken on a weekend?  Even if people were working weekends, this isn't going to be ready for staff this year.
    They're working on this 7 days a week with 12 hr days Mon-Fri and 9hr days doing the weekends. Interior work shouldn't take nearly as long as the exterior with many many steel beams, tons of panels of glass going up, HVAC, solar panels, foundation work, etc. All of that takes a long time compared to any interior work. Plus, they can be doing some interior work now as a lot of the building is fully enclosed. No need to wait until the entire exterior is done to start working on the interior. 

    http://www.cupertino.org/index.aspx?page=1223
    1) While the systematic approach and staggering the build is a well worn concept, this facility does have enough unique elements that getting an Alpha Team in place to verify certain technical and logistical elements are being installed in the most efficient manner, and if not do some tweaks before moving onto the next segment.

    2) From the scale of this project in terms of the amount of land, to having to demolish HP's old infrastructure, reuse their old infrastructure as much as possible, and then put their designs into action with an excessive number of new ideas (depending on who you talk to) and with constant changes (again, depending on who you talk to), and then having to make sure that many companies will be able to delivery on time for their product, like creating and shipping from Germany the largest pieces of glass in the world, it's amazing that they are right on schedule.
    edited September 2016
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