flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Facebook’s new Frank Gehry-designed Menlo Park HQ extension includes a massive green roof

Office Buildings

Facebook’s new Frank Gehry-designed Menlo Park HQ extension includes a massive green roof

Level 10 Construction was the general contractor for the project.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | September 5, 2018
Aerial view of MPK 21 green roof
Aerial view of MPK 21 green roof

Facebook’s MPK 20 Menlo Park HQ campus is a 433,000-sf building topped with an expansive nine-acre green roof. Completed in 2015, the build team of Facebook, Gehry Partners, and Level 10 Construction didn’t rest for long before beginning MPK 21, a 524,000-sf expansion.

Much like MPK 20, MPK 21 includes a giant level of single-floor, open-plan office space with break-away spaces and service amenities. A single pathway runs the entire length of the building and leads to five unique dining options, 15 art installations, and  a 2,000-seat event and meeting space.

MPK 21’s 3.6-acre green roof (MPK 20 provides an additional 9 acres of green roof space) includes walking trails that weave around hundreds of trees, grasses, and shrubs. Nature doesn't just exist on the roof, however, as 40-foot-tall Redwoods are included in the Town Square, a sheltered green space. MPK 21 connects to MPK 20 via The Bowl, an amphitheater-style courtyard, and also features a bridge that leads over a highway and connects to hiking trails along the neighboring wetlands.

 

See Also: Apple’s new $5 billion headquarters has a glass problem

 

MPK 21 at nightCourtesy Facebook.

 

Among the new building’s sustainability features are a reclaimed water system designed to save 17 million gallons per year and a 1.4-megawatt PV system that creates 2 million kWh of electricity annually. The new building is targeting Leed Platinum certification.

MPK 20 was built in 21 months and, despite being almost 100,000 sf larger, MPK 21 was built in just 17 months. Both buildings include signature Frank Gehry elements such as exterior metal paneling.

 

MPK 21 exterior surrounded by treesThe Town Square. Courtesy Facebook.

 

The BowlThe Bowl. Courtesy Facebook.

 

 

For a more in depth look at MPK 21, click here.

Related Stories

Multifamily Housing | Jul 11, 2023

Converting downtown office into multifamily residential: Let’s stop and think about this

Is the office-to-residential conversion really what’s best for our downtowns from a cultural, urban, economic perspective? Or is this silver bullet really a poison pill?

Adaptive Reuse | Jul 10, 2023

California updates building code for adaptive reuse of office, retail structures for housing

The California Building Standards Commission recently voted to make it easier to convert commercial properties to residential use. The commission adopted provisions of the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) that allow developers more flexibility for adaptive reuse of retail and office structures.

Headquarters | Jul 5, 2023

The game room: Transforming game design office spaces

IA Interior Architects' designers discuss the aesthetic considerations for gaming industry work environments.

Office Buildings | Jun 28, 2023

When office-to-residential conversion works

The cost and design challenges involved with office-to-residential conversions can be daunting; designers need to devise creative uses to fully utilize the space.

Standards | Jun 26, 2023

New Wi-Fi standard boosts indoor navigation, tracking accuracy in buildings

The recently released Wi-Fi standard, IEEE 802.11az enables more refined and accurate indoor location capabilities. As technology manufacturers incorporate the new standard in various devices, it will enable buildings, including malls, arenas, and stadiums, to provide new wayfinding and tracking features.

Green | Jun 26, 2023

Federal government will spend $30 million on novel green building technologies

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will invest $30 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to increase the sustainability of federal buildings by testing novel technologies. The vehicle for that effort, the Green Proving Ground (GPG) program, will invest in American-made technologies to help increase federal electric vehicle supply equipment, protect air quality, reduce climate pollution, and enhance building performance.

Office Buildings | Jun 26, 2023

Electric vehicle chargers are top priority for corporate office renters

Businesses that rent office space view electric vehicle (EV) charging stations as a top priority. More than 40% of companies in the Americas and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) are looking to include EV charging stations in future leases, according to JLL’s 2023 Responsible Real Estate study.

Laboratories | Jun 23, 2023

A New Jersey development represents the state’s largest-ever investment in life sciences and medical education

In New Brunswick, N.J., a life sciences development that’s now underway aims to bring together academics and researchers to work, learn, and experiment under one roof. HELIX Health + Life Science Exchange is an innovation district under development on a four-acre downtown site. At $731 million, HELIX, which will be built in three phases, represents New Jersey’s largest-ever investment in life sciences and medical education, according to a press statement.

Office Buildings | Jun 15, 2023

An office building near DFW Airport is now home to two Alphabet companies

A five-minute drive from the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the recently built 2999 Olympus is now home to two Alphabet companies: Verily, a life sciences business, and Wing, a drone delivery company. Verily and Wing occupy the top floor (32,000 sf and 4,000 sf, respectively) of the 10-story building, located in the lakeside, work-life-play development of Cypress Waters.

Engineers | Jun 14, 2023

The high cost of low maintenance

Walter P Moore’s Javier Balma, PhD, PE, SE, and Webb Wright, PE, identify the primary causes of engineering failures, define proactive versus reactive maintenance, recognize the reasons for deferred maintenance, and identify the financial and safety risks related to deferred maintenance.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Adaptive Reuse

Detroit’s Michigan Central Station, centerpiece of innovation hub, opens

The recently opened Michigan Central Station in Detroit is the centerpiece of a 30-acre technology and cultural hub that will include development of urban transportation solutions. The six-year adaptive reuse project of the 640,000 sf historic station, created by the same architect as New York’s Grand Central Station, is the latest sign of a reinvigorating Detroit.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021