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Amid Apple Campus 2 Cost Concerns, Foster + Partners Reportedly Taking on Apple Retail Store Projects
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Yeah it would be intersting if there was real news. Plus the discussion in this thread seems to be mostly about Apple HQ not their retail stores.
A circle (i.e. domed building) or a RING? There's a huge difference. And there's something called the outdoors that isn't desirable in a building plan to get around, particularly on bad weather days.
The shortest distance between two points in space (ignoring the curvature of space since it's pretty much irrelevant to the discussion) is a straight line even if that line is inside a circle. But being forced to walk in a large circle around the perimeter of a large building to avoid rain, etc. is waste of time when you could fit the same amount of space contained within the RING (usable portion of the building) in a MUCH MUCH smaller space, particularly if you used multiple floors (whether a dome or even a cube). You can have any number of walkways inside a building to make it simple to get around rooms, etc. and lifts (aka elevators) make it simple to move up and down.
If what you said were true, ALL buildings in the world would be rings. They're not rings for a reason. They WASTE SPACE.
Ever hear of the outdoors? There something outside called WEATHER. What you and some others are suggesting is that people should walk some huge distance out in the rain/wind/snow/whatever around a bunch of freaking trees and uneven ground to shortcut rather than building a nice compact building that is all indoors. Yeah. That's WAY better. NOT.
If this were a dome, I might be more agreeable, but it's a RING and that means there is no indoor way to take the shortest path. Furthermore, a properly designed circular building would have the hub at the center. Here, we have TREES at the center and NOTHING in the way the offices, etc. in that entire inner circle diameter (i.e. wasted space). Thus, you are forced to walk the LONG way around the perimeter to get anywhere indoors. That is STUPID no matter how you look at it.
As for those that love trees, so what? I hate them around my house. They cause trouble (leaves falling everywhere; roots getting into the foundation and around drains and creating uneven ground, etc.) You could have an atrium or even a greenhouse in the center of the building for a garden, etc. There is no need to create a $5 BILLION building where a $500 million building would do better.
Ah someone who gets it.
Apple is also very secretive and the LAST thing they want is unauthorized "collaborations" between employees at different levels, etc. just because they "bump into each other". Most businesses also have meetings, etc. and something called lunch and that often involves travel. A centralized cafeteria would make sense as would a set of meeting rooms around that ares towards the center of the wheel. But here, they put TREES there instead.... (face palm)
So they're all going to go outside into the wilderness and smoke weed or something? I see no meeting areas outside. I see nothing but trees outside. I see bad weather causing massive travel delays by forcing a walk around the ring. I see that a wagon wheel spoke design with a centralized meeting area, cafeteria and atrium would be 100x better than a RING with a forest in the middle. Well thought out design my arse. It's freaking STUPID.
I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or just ignorant of how public companies are funded.
In a monolithic concrete and glass Soviet style corporate ego edifice?
What cell number do you want?
Now I know why Apple products are so expensive. So Steve Jobs could build his space ring campus.
There is an amphitheater, and outdoor dining area, and a plaza all in among the trees and paths inside the circle. There is also access for maintenance vehicles. The inside of the circle is definitely designed to get used. Also, Cupertino has no snowfall, and only 54 days per year with any rain.
lol its in California, the weather is beautiful all year around, it hardly ever rains, and never snows.
I'm not even sure 54 days is correct, it feels more like 10-20.
Why is there one of you in nearly every thread these days?
If you don't like a thread then move on ffs.
A circle (i.e. domed building) or a RING? There's a huge difference. And there's something called the outdoors that isn't desirable in a building plan to get around, particularly on bad weather
Ever hear of the outdoors? There something outside called WEATHER. What you and some others are suggesting is that people should walk some huge distance out in the rain/wind/snow/whatever around a bunch of freaking trees and uneven ground to shortcut rather than building a nice compact building that is all indoors. Yeah. That's WAY better. NOT.
This building is being built in California where it hardly rains at all. 95% of the time it's very pleasant there. Bad weather is a RARE event. It's not Seattle or Buffalo.
simple. underground parking deck, with a green roof for all the trees above it on seemingly ground level. its been done. i wouldn't be surprised if that fountain looking disk in the center is really a skylight for an underground hub connecting corridors that wagon spoke their way out to the ring structure.
not having seen the infrastructure plans myself, this is only a guess. but why such disdain on it? clearly you have an opinion and are entitled to it but have you seen complete detailed plans on this to completely refute the possibility they may have thought of the issues you are passionately concerned about?
edit: i looked up the plans. there is no hub or spoke corridors underground. parking is solely under the footprint of the ring.
still why the hate for the shape of the building? are you going to have to walk that? are you really that concerned for apple employees?
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All they need is a force field over it and they will have a perfect bio dome for when North Korea attacks.....
It more than likely is made up entirely of solar panels.
A brilliant design all around, a true masterpiece of elegance and efficiency, worthy as a beacon of ingenuity to the world, and many people would expect nothing less from a company like APPLE.
And in addition, with this particular design, you end up with gorgeous private grounds, accessible from anywhere in the 'circle'; a truly fantastic environment for some of those 12,000 creative minds to go for inspiration and do what they do best, create and refine!
Costs don't matter. Look at the work Foster + has produced. Amazing design. That's what matters. If you want more dividends or other corporate hooplah go invest in another company. I'm glad Tim is not budging.
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Yes. Because the iOS engineers are now putting up this building.
it's good to see Apple utilizing their capital efficiently. This project definitely adds value for shareholders.
How does creating enormous cost overruns (and believe me it's Foster) equate with giving them more responsibility?
These things tend to cost what they cost, maybe Apple is impressed with the way Foster is handling the job given the cost overruns seem to be down to the ultra high spec Apple has specified for fit and finish. Very often its not until the fine detail is elaborated that the true cost of these things come to light. If Foster is handling the project well so far, especially on such a complex build, that will be why they are getting more work.
Maybe its all part of a bigger plan, we are unable to understand , yet
see: http://ichchecksnicht.tumblr.com/post/47689736229/gestern-sind-mir-die-globalen-zusammenhaenge
see: http://ichchecksnicht.tumblr.com/post/47689736229/gestern-sind-mir-die-globalen-zusammenhaenge
Your picture that you posted AFTER we already discussed it, is exactly the same as a ring. It's just a rectangle with rounded corners. Nothing that different.
You did not post that picture at the beginning. Irregardless, both are very similar buildings, and I have no problem with the picture posted. I simply have a problem with a regular rectangular building vs. a circle (or the building you posted)
Take is from someone in the business - the cost overruns are coming from the insane construction details coming from Foster and Apple. One artcle mentioned Apple is specifying 1/32" max joint between materials. That will simply blow the minds of most of the subcontractors in the US. My guess is there was an original estimate and now there is a more accurate one reflecting the level of detail. Its very expensive to build an entire building with the construction tolerances of an iphone. You are going to get gouged by contractors when they find out they need to build things with those expected tolerances.
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, not a circle. What makes walking distances in this building so large is the large doughnut hole in the middle.
Think about this: Rearrange the 1o houses on a cul de sac as a single apartment building. Which arrangement requires more walking?
Even if you say the wonderful California weather means you walk through the doughnut hole rather than around it (and there are plenty of times when Northern California weather is not that mild or temperate), putting the very large hole between the offices on opposite sides of the hole requires unnecessary walking.
You can think up reasons to justify the doughnut hole, but in terms of walking, it is inefficient.
First off "Irregardless" isn't a word. Second, it's not that hard to understand what I was talking about. Third, the circular shape of the building serves no purpose other than esthetics.