Campus 2, Apple Inc.'s proposed ring-shaped office facility in Cupertino, Calif., could cost $5 billion to build, according to a report by Bloomberg. Confidential souces told the publication that the budget has escalated since 2011, when a $3 billion price tag was predicted, and could reach more than $1,500/sf. The scale of the project has evolved over time; initally the building was only intended to accommodate 6,000 employees, vs. the current scope of 12,000 to 13,000.
Contributing to the high price is a design that calls for a façade incorporating 40-foot tall curved glass panes, imported from German firm Seele. The campus, created on land the company already owns, would be planted with 6,000 trees. In addition to the main building, the plan includes a corporate auditorium, fitness center, central plant, underground parking, and 300,000-sf research building.
The Building Team includes Foster + Partners as lead architect, and a joint venture of DPR Construction and Skanska USA Building as general contractor. A 2016 move-in date is projected, with demoliton of existing buildings on the site set to begin this summer.
Bloomberg quotes several shareholder sources who expressed trepidation about the cost of the project, in particular its innovative (and costly) use of curved glass. Apple execs say that Campus 2—part of the late Steve Jobs' dream for the company—will go forward. Apple will also continue to use its "Infinite Loop" headquarters, home to 2,800 employees.
The roof of the main building will hold 70,000 sf of solar panels, a key to the project's net-zero energy design. Other sustainable features will include high-efficiency fans, advanced daylighting, intensive plantings, and sustainable wood. Prefabricated, modular construction is anticipated as a key construction strategy.
(http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-04/apple-new-campus-cost-seen-jumping-to-5-billion-tech-correct-.html)
Related Stories
Building Team Awards | May 19, 2016
Chinatown library unites and serves two emerging Chicago neighborhoods
The 16,000-sf, pebble-shaped Chinatown Branch Library was built at the intersection of new and old Chinatown neighborhoods. The goal is for the building to unite the communities and serve as a catalyst for the developing area.
Building Team Awards | May 19, 2016
NYC subway station lights the way for 300,000 riders a day
Fulton Center, which handles 85% of the riders coming to Lower Manhattan, is like no other station in the city’s vast underground transit web—and that’s a good thing.
Market Data | May 17, 2016
Modest growth for AIA’s Architecture Billings Index in April
The American Institute of Architects reported the April ABI score was 50.6, down from the mark of 51.9 in the previous month. This score still reflects an increase in design services.
Architects | May 16, 2016
AIA and HOK partner to advance Design and Health Research Consortium
The groups' key priority is to identify and develop practice-focused opportunities for funded research, publications, and tools in the area of design and public health.
Senior Living Design | May 16, 2016
Perkins Eastman releases white paper on biophilic design in senior living
The paper highlights some of the firm's top projects that feature biophilic design, a sustainable architecture strategy that connects people with nature.
Architects | May 16, 2016
3 strategies to creating environments that promote workplace engagement
VOA's Pablo Quintana writes that the industry is looking for ways to increase engagement through a mix of spaces suited to employees' desire for both privacy and connection.
Architects | May 11, 2016
AIA to create a resilience curriculum for architects
The program will teach resilient design and decision-making on hazard mitigation, climate adaptation and community resilience.
Retail Centers | May 10, 2016
5 factors guiding restaurant design
Restaurants are more than just places to eat. They are comprising town centers and playing into the future of brick-and-mortar retail.
AEC Tech | May 9, 2016
Is the nation’s grand tech boom really an innovation funk?
Despite popular belief, the country is not in a great age of technological and digital innovation, at least when compared to the last great innovation era (1870-1970).
Sports and Recreational Facilities | May 6, 2016
NBA’s Atlanta Hawks to build new practice center with attached medical facilities
The team will have easy access to an MRI machine, 3D motion capture equipment, and in-ground hydrotherapy.