Apple Proposing a Massive Glass-Roofed Retail Store on the Third Street Promenade

[MartinAW]

Originally Posted by ArdBuijsen

So Apple rightfully doesn't install Flash because it is a energy hog but they have a building designed which doesn't function without a tremendous cooling system which is a much bigger energy hog. Stupid this design.

They left flash out to save battery life.

Thats not something they have to worry about when they have a cooling system running off the power grid...

Completely irrelevant.

[ArdBuijsen]

Originally Posted by Dreamer2go

Well if Apple use triple glazed glass, then it might help. As I recall an architect class I took in university before, using triple glazed glass is quite environmental friendly.

More info here:

http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/featur...ing-make-sense
http://www.tripleglazing.com/performance.html

from your own quoted web page:

3.2.5.1 Sun blocking

During the hotter parts of the year the secondary heat that windows produce can become too intense. An illustration would be how hot a conservatory can become under a scorching sun. By using different methods of cooling this heat can be reduced, unfortunately this is often a very expensive method. A cheaper and more environmentally acceptable method is to use different types of sun blockers. This helps not only to prevent the secondary heat but also the direct heat. Sun blockers can be placed either outside, inside or between the layers of glass and their efficiency depends on where they are placed.

The best way to place sun blockers is to put them on the outside of the windows. These types can be fixed or movable and come in all different shapes e.g. awnings, sunblinds and porches. Windows sometimes have the advantage of being placed further into the facade, something that gives them automatic sun blocking from the building itself. One disadvantage with fixed sun blockers is that they do not normally cover sunshine during the whole course of the day. This however is not a problem since sunshine often is welcomed later on in the evenings. Movable sun blockers e.g. blinds and awnings often have the capability to cover the whole window if needed, these type of sun blockers should always be installed so that there exists a gap of air in between the window and the sun blocker when in use.

Sun blockers on the inside are not as effective as the outside versions. This is because the secondary heat can still exist as most of the sunshine still gets absorbed by the window. These however are the most normal types of sun blockers as curtains and venetian blinds exist in almost every household.

Originally Posted by MartinAW

They left flash out to save battery life.

Thats not something they have to worry about when they have a cooling system running off the power grid...

Completely irrelevant.

Not so if they claim to be a sustainable and environmentally friendly company... which is also something they (partly) rightfully claim. So very relevant if not that it is really 1985 to not commission and design sustainable buildings.

[Rocketman]

So, is the meeting tonight going to be a zoo now that MacRumors has published the date, time, and place?

The construction requirements, particularly dust control and archeology are intense. American Indians used to live there.

[ZipZap]

Going to be expensive to cool and when its hot out....going to be tough to keep comfortable.

[pagansoul]

This is just a mock-up. In a climate that has sun all year, it would not work too well with this design but it's a nice idea. Maybe it will just end up with smaller sections of skylight and not the entire roof. It does give you a nice view of the floor this way. At many malls in Georgia there are a few with partial glass roofs. They work rather well and let in great amounts of sunlight but also put on a show when we have rain storms.

[jbrucato]

I wonder if the "wow" factor, architecturally, would be offset by the increased cooling bills during the summer months?

[BlindMellon]

It's funny for a company that is so secretive to want all these transparent buildings. Fools everyone into thinking they're such an open company.

[xriderx11]

I wouldn't want to be under their durring an earthquake!!!! Glass would shed everyone apart....

[veloctct]

They could do some type of retractable awning or something of the like on very hot days, it could definitely be done. I'm not saying it won't be expensive but it can be done.

[JS77]

I wonder if this is a hint to solar panel recharging on future MBs and iOS devices

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patentl...-the-wild.html

[Small White Car]

Originally Posted by ArdBuijsen

Not so if they claim to be a sustainable and environmentally friendly company... which is also something they (partly) rightfully claim. So very relevant if not that it is really 1985 to not commission and design sustainable buildings.

If you can find me a SINGLE piece of Apple marketing that claims they left Flash out of iOS for environmental concerns then, yes, you can say it's relevant to bring it up.

Until you do, though, I'll maintain that calling it 'irrelevant' was a good word choice.

[Popeye206]

Originally Posted by BlindMellon

It's funny for a company that is so secretive to want all these transparent buildings. Fools everyone into thinking they're such an open company.

All part of their fiendish plan to make great products and sell them to people that want them!

[bretm]

All the sunlight will certainly show off all the glossy monitors!

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Where they going to put the air conditioning units? Because they're sure going to need them!

[Sankersizzle]

This is clearly just a giant marketing ploy to sell more anti-glare screens.

[BornAgainMac]

Originally Posted by xriderx11

I wouldn't want to be under their durring an earthquake!!!! Glass would shed everyone apart....

Thank you. I was thinking the same thing. Talk about Final Destination 6! What was Apple thinking?

[hleewell]

Why can't other Asian countries, outside of China, have these ingeniously designed Apple stores? Shanghai has that incredible looking glass icon near the riverside shopping area. I guess Apple is more concerned about building a strong brand image in a No.1 Pirate Country in the world.

[weckart]

Originally Posted by xriderx11

I wouldn't want to be under their durring an earthquake!!!! Glass would shed everyone apart....

I wouldn't want to be under any building during an earthquake. If it is severe enough to shatter that roof, then I doubt that falling floors, roofs, bricks and concrete are any more human friendly.

[Steve121178]

Originally Posted by xriderx11

I wouldn't want to be under their durring an earthquake!!!! Glass would shed everyone apart....

In the UK, we have something called 'planning permission'. And there's no way a glass roof would be approved in an earthquake zone! (not that we have large quakes in the UK...)

If they are allowed to construct such a building then it's madness and puts everyone inside at risk.

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Originally Posted by weckart

I wouldn't want to be under any building during an earthquake. If it is severe enough to shatter that roof, then I doubt that falling floors, roofs, bricks and concrete are any more human friendly.

I fully agree, but shards of razor sharp glass is a lot more dangerous than bricks & concrete.

[Bluefusion]

For everyone complaining "BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE GLOSSY SCREENS?!?!", this is exactly the same design as the Upper West Side (NY) Apple Store, which I worked at for just under a year. (The only difference is it's all on one floor.)

And yes, it was bright in the daytime. It was also friggin' beautiful.

Granted, our Genius Bar was downstairs, but the point still stands-- it would have been wonderful for us Genii to get some fresh light and air!

Apple has extensive experience with getting their heating/cooling costs under control. No one EVER felt the UWS store was too hot-- most people thought it was much too cold-- and it was rumored to have some kind of solar/photovoltaic cells in the roof to help with power. It also definitely has some kind of UV barrier that reflects certain kinds of light.

It's been working for them for almost two years-- certainly they've planned for California light, too.

[e-coli]

Identical to the Upper West Side store. Beautiful, but not breathtaking. Apple's stores are always half a step short of epic. They give no thought to any form of landscape architecture in their stand-alone retail stores. That would truly make these buildings ones for the ages.

Don't get me wrong, it's still a beautiful design.

[AidenShaw]

Originally Posted by xriderx11

I wouldn't want to be under their durring an earthquake!!!! Glass would shed everyone apart....

Originally Posted by BornAgainMac

Thank you. I was thinking the same thing. Talk about Final Destination 6! What was Apple thinking?

There hasn't been an earthquake within 10 km of 3rd Street since Monday, and the nearest major known fault is almost 5 km away....



And don't forget to worry about tsunamis - Santa Monica is at risk for those as well, and the Promenade is 400m from the beach.

[billnye97]

Originally Posted by Rocketman

The construction requirements, particularly dust control and archeology are intense. American Indians used to live there.

Well American Indians used to live everywhere and that hasn't stopped anyone. I seriously doubt they would find anything especially since buildings already exist in spot.

[Reason077]

Originally Posted by Steve121178

In the UK, we have something called 'planning permission'. And there's no way a glass roof would be approved in an earthquake zone! (not that we have large quakes in the UK...)

If they are allowed to construct such a building then it's madness and puts everyone inside at risk.

Modern buildings built in earthquake zones are built to very strict standards and are very safe. Take the huge earthquake in Japan this year - it was one of the 5 largest earthquakes ever recorded since 1900, but virtually all the deaths were from the resultant Tsunami, not the earthquake. Countless glass towers hundreds of meters high in Tokyo survived with little or no damage.

In addition, modern safety glass of the type used in commercial buildings is very strong. In fact, concrete is often reinforced with glass fibers to make it stronger. Even in the unlikely event that something did cause it to fail, it breaks into small harmless pellets - NOT razor sharp shards.

Do you really think that Apple's architects don't know what they're doing and/or aren't familiar with California building codes?

[roadbloc]

It would be like a greenhouse. All the iPhones will just sit there and complain about the temperature.

[Supermacguy]

Originally Posted by MartinAW

They left flash out to save battery life.
Thats not something they have to worry about when they have a cooling system running off the power grid...
Completely irrelevant.

Clearly you're missing the irony in their actions, on a meta scale.