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Apple Reaches Out to Cupertino Neighbors Regarding 'Campus 2' Plans
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My, my...what a tasteful and mature post showing such admirable respect for a recently widowed woman.
Stay classy, mate...
You're kidding, right? Aside from the masochists who flock to New York ******, why would "talent" prefer to squeeze into a raucous soul-killing concrete jungle (where the land isn't available) over a visually-pleasing setting buffered by stuff that's actually alive?
Also, Apple gets a lot of heat over environmental concerns and clearly PR is a factor here. Building an efficient new structure is massively more feasible than trying to rework some existing concrete-bound monstrosity, if one of suitable size were even available.
Right, because Cupertino today is a cow town where thousands of Apple and other employees don't already work ???
You're kidding, right? What company invites the public to trample their landscaping, drop trash everywhere, get in the way of their employees, and incur a liability nightmare? It's private property.
The sculpture from which Soundgarden took their name is currently not accessible to the public, yet I don't see outrage. Why on earth would the public want to drive inside the new building and watch people eat their lunch and play frisbee? Why would the employees want the public staring at them?
Intellectual property theft and employee poaching happen all the time.
Large companies in highly-competitive industries often close their entire campuses so that their employees have a secure place to openly discuss their ideas. This is also a key reason why such companies have on-site cafeterias, exercise facilities, green spaces and why they are NOT located in urban centers. It's not all about making it a nice place to work.
Apple explicitly designed the circular shape of this building so employees are frequently traversing the central courtyard. The idea is that employees who run into each other share diverse stimuli that can lead to creativity. Eureka! Serendipity!
If anyone could walk through Apple's campus and listen in on the conversations of Apple engineers and business leaders, the effects would be catastrophic.
And no, don't think this is paranoid. "Corporate espionage" really does happen.
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But what about HP? This was an old HP office. How many people came to work on the property when HP owned it?
Yeah? And my personal preference states that I like being in a downtown core during lunch breaks with a variety of options for food.
If some local residents have sincere objections to the proposed Apple Campus, they will no doubt have ample opportunity to make their views known at the various public hearings that will be held during the planning process. Apple certainly isn't under obligation to enable them. Its response card contains a comment area where respondents can voice their concerns.
A great part of Apple's market and financial success depends on its ability to keep company information secret. And as such, its well within its rights to keep its facilities "closed" to the general public. For people interested in trying out shiny new Apple products, there are convenient, attractively furnished Apple Stores in most cities these days. Putting a museum or public tour area on campus would only add to the inevitable traffic and congestion the site will create.
Like it or not, cities need businesses, that employ residents and pay local taxes, to keep going. Apple's proposed facility seems to have taken great pains to minimize the ecological and social impact on the area. Replacing acres of ugly blacktop parking lots with natural landscaping and water features seems a net benefit of great value.
A great part of Apple's market and financial success depends on its ability to keep company information secret. And as such, its well within its rights to keep its facilities "closed" to the general public. For people interested in trying out shiny new Apple products, there are convenient, attractively furnished Apple Stores in most cities these days. Putting a museum or public tour area on campus would only add to the inevitable traffic and congestion the site will create.
Like it or not, cities need businesses, that employ residents and pay local taxes, to keep going. Apple's proposed facility seems to have taken great pains to minimize the ecological and social impact on the area. Replacing acres of ugly blacktop parking lots with natural landscaping and water features seems a net benefit of great value.
Okay well that's made things a little clearer for me. I think I misunderstood the purpose of these response cards. Makes more sense now - I still kind of have a problem with it but more to do with this way of doing things as a whole - not specifically with Apple. But yeah, makes more sense now, thanks.
This isn't the city asking for input. This is Apple asking for support. If people want to, they can write comments on the card (positive OR negative) and send it back. But keep in mind, they're sending it back to the company that wants to build the structure. Not the city council, planning commission, etc. Sending negative comments to Apple isn't going to help. Talking to the city council/planning commission, whether at a meeting or on the phone, will. It makes your voice heard to the people that are making the decision.
Apple is, of course, looking for support. There's laws everywhere about meetings that have to be held to get the public's input on stuff like this. If someone objects, they go to the meeting. There's nothing wrong with the system.
Absolutely correct! Corporations should always consider its employees food preferences before even considering building any head quarter.
As such, I think a survey card should be given to all current and future employees Best, if all local menus attached.
Hopefully you weren't serious.
Exactly, personal preference. Wherever you locate, it attracts some, turns off others.
Apple's plans do call for solid transit connectivity. I'm all for urban development, but as long as the plans connect the building to the larger community at large, I'm fine with it. If they wanted to build an suburban or exurban office park which demanded a car to reach, I'd completely agree with you. But if you look at the plans, they are actually calling for a bus station on site, which presumably will be served with shuttles to Caltran and provide connections to the regional bus system.
There's nothing inherently wrong with a suburban design. Much of the suburban development in this country is auto-centric to the exclusion of everything else and just piss poor planning and design, but that's not what you're seeing here. If you live in a nearby urban center with good connectivity, you'll have no problem reaching the Apple campus on transit. And that's what counts.
You do realize that there is already an existing HP facility on this campus that houses 1000s of employees? Yes, they'll soon move out to make room for this new campus but it won't have a major impact on overall population.
Closed means if you do not have a legitimate business reason for being on the campus (or are not the guest of an Apple employee), you are trespassing.
Most office buildings don't have fences around them and this one won't either. You don't need a fence to make a building closed or non-public.
There's no fence that surrounds HP, Intel, Google, Cisco, whatever.
There will be a visitor lobby for people with a legitimate reason to be on the property (e.g., if you have a meeting with someone). There will be a loading dock if you are a vendor making a delivery (e.g., you are Greenleaf Produce and delivering veggies for the employee cafeteria).
Same with Google. There's no fence that surrounds the Amphitheater Technology Center (a.k.a. the Googleplex). There's actually a city park adjacent to the property and the transition is unencumbered by a fence.
Unlike Apple's headquarters at 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino, there is no company store at Google's Mountain View HQ. If you do not have a legitimate business reason to be on the Google campus, or you aren't a guest of a Google employee, you are trespassing. The public is free to enjoy the park though.
The grounds are for the enjoyment of Apple employees, approved visitors, etc. There's no reason why the public should be allowed access to private property, just like I shouldn't be allowed to walk into your backyard and sit by your swimming pool.
Note that the Campus 2 design replaces existing office buildings, rather mundane ones with the typical sea of street level parking and some trees for shade. Having underground parking allows for more effective use of the land, just like the Googleplex.
By concentrating more employees in one large building, Apple can improve logistics in certain ways. A large cafeteria with more dining options can be built, versus having a few smaller eating facilities scattered about the various satellite buildings.
Also, connections to public transit systems (VTA Light Rail, Caltrain) are more feasible since the shuttle buses would not have to make multiple stops at various buildings. The shuttle buses can quickly get onto I-280 then head up 85 to drop off passengers at the Mountain View transit center (plus, it's the reverse commute).
It's interesting that there appears to be a high-security zone in the southeast corner of the property. Research buildings and the corporate auditorium are in the area.
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There's a dedicated four-story parking structure in the current plans.
There will be shuttle bus service between 1 Infinite Loop and Campus 2. Just show your Apple badge to the driver when you climb aboard. If you look at the brochure, there's a Corporate Transit Center.
There will be shuttle bus service between 1 Infinite Loop and Campus 2. Just show your Apple badge to the driver when you climb aboard. If you look at the brochure, there's a Corporate Transit Center.
This is a great project, will create jobs and improve the job offerings for higher educated people.
The integration with landscape is great, and the architecture very interesting.
Too bad nobody will really be able to see it as it's a closed facility.
The sending out of report cards is great. Sometimes you can adjust a project slightly (without negative effects on it) and do away with negative impacts on neighbors. A great idea. I wish this would happen in residential areas where some people are reckless, always placing their air conditioning units to the property borders, so that their neighbors heir the hum, but not they themselves.
The integration with landscape is great, and the architecture very interesting.
Too bad nobody will really be able to see it as it's a closed facility.
The sending out of report cards is great. Sometimes you can adjust a project slightly (without negative effects on it) and do away with negative impacts on neighbors. A great idea. I wish this would happen in residential areas where some people are reckless, always placing their air conditioning units to the property borders, so that their neighbors heir the hum, but not they themselves.