The new Apple headquarters may look odd, but it’s also a very smart building, capable of being fully-powered by renewable energy, not to mention its focus on the environment.
Steve Jobs visionary new headquarters for Apple looks very much like something from a sci-fi movie, and perhaps because of this, it’s a design that we really haven’t seen before, and may not see for a long time. It seems that most corporations are still stuck in the past, with blocky structures, vast parking lots, and little regard for the environment. The Apple headquarters takes the focus and puts it back on environmental-friendliness and renewable energy concepts.
By the time the new Apple headquarters is finished, in 2016, it will have working space for about 13,000 Apple engineers. One of the first things that you notice is the amount of green spaces, about 80% of the campus, including indigenous trees, shrubs, and grassy areas, a far cry from the expansive parking lots found at most company headquarters. For 13,000 Apple engineers to get around, one thousand company bicycles will provide casual green transport between various sections of the complex.
The Apple headquarters itself, affectionately known as the “mother ship,” is at least 30% more efficient than current office building designs, using natural ventilation much of the year, instead of energy-intensive heating and air conditioning systems. Additionally, equipped with a solar roof, the entire complex will be powered by 100% renewable energy. The entire process of design and execution of the new Apple headquarters has been built around its impact with the environment, and every iteration ends up being greener than before. The question is, will other corporations take notice and redesign their own structures for lesser impact on the environment?
Image © Apple
