What Apple's and Google's Headquarters Plans Reveal About Their Cultures

[knucklehead]

Originally Posted by IJ Reilly

A reference to pseudoscience, I presume. Nearly everyone spends most of their lives inhabiting buildings created by people with deliberation and intent -- and yet, many still seem to believe that architecture is random and without discernible symbolism or meaning

If you stop confusing the bolded part with science, you'll have a chance of getting what folks are referring to here.

[davidinva]

I look at Apple's facility and can't help thinking maybe those "Ancient Astronaut Theorists" are on to something.

[IJ Reilly]

Originally Posted by knucklehead

If you stop confusing the bolded part with science, you'll have a chance of getting what folks are referring to here.

My apologies. Obviously you understand architecture better than I do. I can see now that you've made quite study of it.

[knucklehead]

Originally Posted by IJ Reilly

My apologies. Obviously you understand architecture better than I do. I can see now that you've made quite study of it.

Your apology is accepted (and indeed, there is tons to apologize for... ). Yes, I actually do know, and work with architects all the time -- Having to deal with their artsy fartsy flako social construct oriented view of the world, and try and actualize it into something that functions in the actual physical world is how I make my living.

SCIENCE -- Google it!

(Phrenology is is but one good example of " THE PROBLEM")

[IJ Reilly]

Originally Posted by knucklehead

Your apology is accepted (and indeed, there is tons to apologize for... ). Yes, I actually do know, and work with architects all the time -- Having to deal with their artsy fartsy flako social construct oriented view of the world, and try and actualize it into something that functions in the actual physical world is how I make my living.

SCIENCE -- Google it!

(Phrenology is is but one good example of " THE PROBLEM")

I did. Science: "the limit of your knowledge" wasn't the definition.

[knucklehead]

Originally Posted by IJ Reilly

I did. Science: "the limit of your knowledge" wasn't the definition.

Then stick to the unfettered cranking out of prose -- Why bother it's pretending to be anything else? (other than to make yourself feel good, of course --- what higher purpose could there be?)

Actually, "How I feel about this building rendered through interpretive dance" would be much more honest than prose. Words ... can easily be confused with an actual rigorous intellectual attempt at connection with the subject matter.

[IJ Reilly]

Originally Posted by knucklehead

Then stick to the unfettered cranking out of prose -- Why bother it's pretending to be anything else? (other than to make yourself feel good, of course --- what higher purpose could there be?)

Actually, "How I feel about this building rendered through interpretive dance" would be much more honest than prose. Words ... can easily be confused with an actual rigorous intellectual attempt at connection with the subject matter.

Lovely attitude you got on display. Consider keeping it to yourself.

[Solomani]

I can't say that I either like or dislike Google's campus aesthetic, tho it looks very typical of any other 'corporate' campus. It could very well be IBM or Ford's or WalMart's HQ.

I do know that Samsung's future campus HQ will also look like a circular spaceship. But it will be bigger (i.e. Mothership). And have more buttons.

[tech4all]

Originally Posted by Eugene-DL

Apple - Connected ecosystem
Google - Fragmented (even their ideas are this and that)

Both look stunning in their own ways, I think.

Or...

The Apple campus looks and functions like a hamster wheel (a nice looking one that is). It's moving and doing things, but really, not moving forward.

The Google campus looks like they're not about not being boring and trying new things. There's more shapes besides a triangle, square or this case a circle.

[Bubba Satori]

Originally Posted by M-O

Apple has style.

Yes, monolithic Stalinist style.
Probably what KGB headquarters would look like if built today.
The Google campus is a free flowing variety of structures with
human space between buildings and a variety of interesting shapes.

One is totalitarian butt ugly and the other has an open and playful look.
The one looks like a structure for the drones in the 1984 commercial,
the other could be the setting for the uplifting 'I'd like to teach the world to sing' anthem.

The Cupertino campus could be stood on it's side with the eye of Sauron in it.
and be the perfect expression of the mentality of the corporation occupying it.

[simonmet]

Originally Posted by McOndo

Apple's campus is stupid, and makes not a lick of sense. Circular? With buildings on the perimeter? It's almost as if they want to separate their employees as much as possible.

And that's a bad thing because??? I've worked in several overcrowded, boxy buildings where all you see are partitions of dividers and booths; completely soul-destroying places that fortunately I won't have to revisit. The interior of Google's buildings have the potential to be just that.

Apple's design provides a much higher surface area to volume ratio, meaning it will feel more spatious and less crowded with more connection to the outside and more natural light. These are very important things in ensuring the health, happiness and therefore productivity and ingenuity of workers.

Even if they do try to cram too many people inside, the design retains a vast and spatious interior courtyard and exterior gardens and woods for people to get out of the office and relax. I don't know about anyone else, but for me it's at these times where sparks of ingenuity are most common. Google's campus provides no such large and open areas.

[szw-mapple fan]

Originally Posted by bandalay

Doesn't the Apple design feature continuous glass around the entire perimeter?

Image
Image

Analyzing architecture like this is akin to phrenology.

Yes. seamless curved glass made into windows that's not openable. That's "controlled openness", kind of like the App store.

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Originally Posted by tech4all

Or...

The Apple campus looks and functions like a hamster wheel (a nice looking one that is). It's moving and doing things, but really, not moving forward.

The Google campus looks like they're not about not being boring and trying new things. There's more shapes besides a triangle, square or this case a circle.

Or maybe google is moving in so many directions it doesn't know where to go.

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Originally Posted by globalhemp

Apple's new headquarters resembles the name of the street address of its current headquarters -- One Infinite Loop.

On the other hand, the circular design is reminiscent of the United Kingdom's GCHQ -- which is the "listening headquarters" of the UK. In other words, the building where "Big Brother is watching you." The UK's equivalent of the US's NSA.

Image

http://www.gchq.gov.uk/Pages/homepage.aspx

There is a negative connotation with this in today's world when you think of CISPA and SOPA which can best be portrayed in the 1998 movie "Enemy of the State" where actor Gene Hackman refers to the NSA's supercomputers use in "Project Echelon."

I'm not saying Apple is "Big Brother" ... what I am saying is that its rather difficult for me to view the building and not think about the original circular shaped building located in the UK.

Maybe apple will give you a new view on circular architecture.

[Renzatic]

Originally Posted by notjustjay

Steve Jobs was the penultimate example

So who's the ultimate example?

Sorry, couldn't resist. :P

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Originally Posted by Bubba Satori

Yes, monolithic Stalinist style.
Probably what KGB headquarters would look like if built today.

I dunno. I like to think the ole Soviets would stick to Brutalist style no matter what the year.

[MWPULSE]

Originally Posted by ianGr

88 Infinite Loop ??

Hehe good one! Cos one infinite loop isn't enough