Nice, but a rounded pentagon building is nothing impressive these days.
It does seem like those that admire this building are reaching. It has some nice features, but taken as a whole it's not that desirable.
A Look Inside Apple’s New Campus
111–120 of 440 posts
Re: A Look Inside Apple’s New Campus
#1125B for 13k employees - that's ~$384,000 in construction costs per head, operating and maintenance expenses are perhaps 5% of that annually (maybe more!) - taken together this is an office building that's costing apple ~$3500/head/mo . It's a beautiful office, but seriously? Avg apple cash comp is what, 12500/mo? 3500 is almost 30% of that!
Remember that they're in one of the sunniest places in the US (at least during the summer) and are supposedly 100% self-contained renewable energy. Energy costs are typically, and by far, the lion's share of the operating costs of a major building like this.
There is a difference between sunny and hot. Cupertino has plenty of sunshine, but is not hot so doesn't require a ton of energy for cooling (the building doesn't even have AC!). If they were able to pull this off in say, Phoenix, it would be a lot more of a cost savings.
> Jobs hated air-conditioning and especially loathed fans. (He vigilantly tried to keep them out of his computers.) But he also didn’t want people opening windows, so he insisted on natural ventilation, a building that breathes just like the people who work inside it.
Re: A Look Inside Apple’s New Campus
#113Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's still a car focused suburban office park with an open office floor plan... No amount of love is going to change the fundamentals.
I agree with your car point. The problem is we current have three choices: - Cars - "Company Store"-style housing (e.g. get fired, get made homeless) - Good public transport. The third option is obviously the best but it is outside of any single company's control. To get good quality public transport the entire city (or cities) need to be onboard, invest sometimes billions of dollars, and likely run it at a near loss…
- Bicycles.
Re: A Look Inside Apple’s New Campus
#114Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's still a car focused suburban office park with an open office floor plan... No amount of love is going to change the fundamentals.
I agree with your car point. The problem is we current have three choices: - Cars - "Company Store"-style housing (e.g. get fired, get made homeless) - Good public transport. The third option is obviously the best but it is outside of any single company's control. To get good quality public transport the entire city (or cities) need to be onboard, invest sometimes billions of dollars, and likely run it at a near loss…
They could build SkyTran. It's perfectly suited for the Bay Area. The tech companies together could easily invest in it and bring it to fruition; the fundamental technology is already developed.
The other thing they can do is what Google does: buy their own buses and bus in some of the employees from key locations. It's not exactly "public transport", but it's pretty close, and doesn't make anyone homeless if they lose their job there, and it wouldn't cost the company much, while it'd save a lot of cars from pouring emissions into the air every day.
Re: A Look Inside Apple’s New Campus
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
Apple is building 11,000 parking spaces not because it wants to but because Cupertino, the suburban city where the new headquarters is located, demands it. Cupertino has a requirement for every building. http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21720269-dont-let-peo... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14067658
That's a copout. Cupertino demands it because businesses have abused public streets before (e.g. relying on public parking for business purposes); if Apple had gone to Cupertino with an actual plan, they may have allowed fewer spaces, but since Apple didn't and just accepted the requirement it is because Apple has no plans to reduce it.
Well it's not that clear. If, for example, Cupertino provide things like bike lanes, or public transportation, then it's not solely Apple's fault here. Maybe if the population density were to be increased (IE, removing restrictive zoning laws), they would reduce the need for people to use personal transportation.
That's the problem with these kind of engagements. Companies and cities generally don't care to work together on something like this. When they do, however, it usually results in something pretty good.
Re: A Look Inside Apple’s New Campus
#116Beautiful building. I wonder though - for those who read the article and have worked in both suburban environments and urban ones - would you rather work in the amazing Apple spaceship in the suburbs, or a normal office building in a city-center? For me, I think I'd still prefer a short commute and the density of stuff that comes with being downtown.
would you rather work in the amazing Apple spaceship in the suburbs,
or a normal office building in a city-center?
Re: A Look Inside Apple’s New Campus
#117Earlier quoted context omitted.
Apple is building 11,000 parking spaces not because it wants to but because Cupertino, the suburban city where the new headquarters is located, demands it. Cupertino has a requirement for every building. http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21720269-dont-let-peo... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14067658
That's a copout. Cupertino demands it because businesses have abused public streets before (e.g. relying on public parking for business purposes); if Apple had gone to Cupertino with an actual plan, they may have allowed fewer spaces, but since Apple didn't and just accepted the requirement it is because Apple has no plans to reduce it.
Agreed, the idea that Apple couldn't possibly have any influence over municipal policies is laughable. They just didn't try.
Re: A Look Inside Apple’s New Campus
#118Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the case of firing, are they unable to take care of the child themselves at home? I understand that on-site childcare wouldn't work for everyone, but it could work for some, and be a benefit to them. Other companies DO provide it. There's a on-site cafeteria, correct? Do they worry how people will get lunch if they quit/fired? Reservations in SV/SF can easily take 6-12 months. /s
> In the case of firing, are they unable to take care of the child themselves at home? Yes, they are unable because that would hinder them from getting another job. > I understand that on-site childcare wouldn't work for everyone, but it could work for some, and be a benefit to them. > Other companies DO provide it. Whats the difference between a daycare at your work or at a separate daycare building?
> Whats the difference between a daycare at your work or at a separate daycare building?
Lower cost and fewer logistical issues I would imagine.
You've just removed a 10~45 minute round trip commute to that separate building. That's twice a day every day, and if the kid gets sick or injured.
Re: A Look Inside Apple’s New Campus
#119Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's still a car focused suburban office park with an open office floor plan... No amount of love is going to change the fundamentals.
I definitely agree with your car comment, and to that point would temper that statement by cautioning not to throw the baby out with the bath water. Cars are, presently, an unavoidable fact of life. This is a shame, but all else considered it's the best possible outcome with the present circumstances. Things will improve however, one day. About the open office plan, I don't think that's the case at all. I don't know…
> Cars are, presently, an unavoidable fact of life. This is a shame, but all else considered it's the best possible outcome with the present circumstances. Things will improve however, one day.
Indeed, I am currently looking out my window at several Amazon office towers that most employees didn't drive to.
Re: A Look Inside Apple’s New Campus
#120I am wondering why I find it kind of odd that it doesn't have a childcare center.
Childcare is competitive and there are already a range of nearby options.