While a lot of offices around the world have used the Google HQ in Silicon Valley as an inspiration for their own creative, unique, sometimes weird office spaces, the tech giant seems not content with their current already awesome hub. They have submitted a proposal to the Mountain View local government to expand their existing corporate offices into block-like structures that can eventually be moved around as they expect to be moving around when they expand in the future.
Working with world-famous designers Bjarke Ingels at BIG and Thomas Heatherwick at Heatherwick Studio, the submitted plan will redevelop four existing sites but it will actually be the first time that they will be desiging and building something from scratch. There will be translucent canopies that will cover each of the sites and inside the building will be a combination of natural light and air and also a way to control the "weather" indoors. Of course it also includes trees, landscapes, bike paths, and other elements that will help " blur the distinction between our buildings and nature."
They also emphasized that the proposed new campus will not just be another cool place for people to work in, but also to improve the community around them. They will be adding bike trails to lessen carbon footprint even more, retail opportunities for local businesses, and add features to help the local environment (owl habitats, widening creek beds, etc). They will also be bringing in renewable energy to offset their consumption.
Google isn't the only one in the area that tried to beat the deadline to submit plans for major office buildings in the North Bayshore technology district. Facebook, Apple, and even LinkedIn have also come up with big plans for their respective HQs. Google's expansion will reportedly span 3.4 million feet and if the local government will approve their proposal, they are aiming for the completion of the first of the four sites by 2020.
SOURCE: Google