The futuristic plan for Google Headquarters

By: Alicia Luthy

Hello! The semester is continuing to fly by faster than I had anticipated. Next week is the last week before spring break! Some friends and I are planning to travel to cold weather in Wisconsin instead of the beachy sunny paradise. I am excited though to explore some in Wisconsin. I have been continuing my research on my thesis topic and came across a really cool concept. This is the futuristic plan for Google Headquarters.

            The design was created by Bjarke Ingels group and Heatherwick Studio. The design creates these glass microclimate utopias that allow the company to regulate the air and climate whenever. The design changes the typical architecture of a building, does away with doors, and changes the typical thinking behind walls, roofs, and stairs.  An artificial sky has been proposed for the four large glass canopies that are stretched over steel at various heights.  Inside there is room for open-air offices as well as modular rooms that are added and stacked to create offices and other meeting rooms. These rooms can be moved around or removed at any time with a portable crane-robot that Google designs. The company is not making the campus just private, but instead allowing it open to the community with parks, wetlands, bike paths, and walking paths. The ground floors will also consist of cafes and retail plazas. There are also a mix of collaborative spaces and private spaces with balconies overlooking the courtyard. Employees can literally ride their bike right to their desk. All the parking is hidden underground. There is also a proposal of 5,000 housing units. It is said that it has potential a worker would never have to leave the utopia.   

            Although I think it would be super expensive to live in this microclimate bubble, I think it would also be awesome. This building shows how far architecture and technology can be pushed. I would love to actually see this project become built and would want to visit it. It really makes me start to wonder if this sort of futuristic design will become the “norm” someday. 

Check it out at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-05-07/google-s-new-campus-architects-ingels-heatherwick-s-moon-shot