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
Architects | Jan 13, 2016
‘Socially engaged’ architect Alejandro Aravena named 2016 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate
Known for his inventive social housing initiatives in his native Chile, Aravena epitomizes the revival of a more socially engaged architect, the Pritzker jury stated.
Architects | Jan 12, 2016
Dear Architecture: It's time to create a level field for female designers
If architecture took one moment to be introspective, it would discover appalling imbalances between the opportunities for women and men, as Perkins+Will's Vershaé Hite and Brittany Eaker-Kirkland wrote in an open letter.
Great Solutions | Jan 6, 2016
Shepley Bulfinch develops elegant design solution to address behavioral issues in emergency departments
ED scheme allows staff to isolate unruly patients and visitors in a secure area.
Market Data | Jan 5, 2016
Majority of AEC firms saw growth in 2015, remain optimistic for 2016: BD+C survey
By all indications, 2015 was another solid year for U.S. architecture, engineering, and construction firms.
Architects | Jan 5, 2016
Potential vs. credential: How men and women differ in career progress
Recent research suggests that women face yet another career impediment: the confidence gap.
Architects | Dec 17, 2015
Capturing utilization and activity data in the workplace
While utilization is an important metric to inform how frequently a space is used, it’s important to consider activity data.
Architects | Dec 17, 2015
Four winners named in NYC sidewalk shed competition
Firms in the Construction Shed Design Competition made designs that are simple to build and use readily-available materials.
Architects | Dec 16, 2015
Lohan Anderson to close, join Wight & Co.
Dirk Lohan, Floyd Anderson and eight others will be hired by the Illinois-based Wight & Co. next month.
Architects | Dec 16, 2015
Architects create commission for diversity advancement
The 20-member group will assess recent data, set a plan of action, and report on results to the AIA Board of Directors.
Architects | Dec 15, 2015
ULI names Lord Richard Rogers the 2015 J.C. Nichols Prize winner
Rogers, Founder of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, works on projects that “shine a spotlight on the challenges that people in urban areas are facing."
