Steve Jobs Wants to Build Apple Spaceship Office
Steve Job's mothership.
Steve Jobs has been busy lately. Many saw him at the WWDC to show off Lion, iOS 5 and iCloud, but the very next day he had a private audience at the Cupertino City Council regarding Apple's plans to change and develop the land that the company owns.
Apple now owns an enormous chunk of land in Cupertino, thanks in large part to a purchase of real estate from a moving-out Hewlett Packard. The area there right now is mostly industrial, concrete and asphalt. Apple is seeking to completely change the landscape of that area, filling the current parking lots with grass and trees.
Steve Jobs presented to the council plans for an office building that is completely circular in shape. Job himself characterized the building concept as looking a bit like a spaceship.
The building will be quite expensive to make due to its lack of flat surfaces. The outside windows will require large sheets of curved glass, which aren't even common at Apple Stores.
Watch the video below to see Steve Jobs work his showmanship to the city, many of whom are visibly big fans of Apple's residence at Cupertino.
- Seven Injured in Explosion At Intel's Arizona Plant
- GamersGate Offering Free Ad-Based PC/Mac Gamesga
- Sony Unveils 3D All-In-One VAIO L Desktop
- Tom’s Hardware Hammer Time in June!
- Hands On With OnLive's Android/iPad Client
- Preordering Reveals UK Pricing for PlayStation Vita
- UK Attorney General Warns Twitter Users
- BBC to Air Wimbledon Finals in 3D
- Acer Brings Out TimelineX With Sandy Bridge
- Carmack "Happy" About Engine Licensing Biz
- SW:TOR "Will More Than Compete" With WoW
- Samsung Reveals Terabyte HDD for Notebooks
- Apple Has Become The World's Largest Chip Buyer
- iCloud Music Service Won't Hit UK Until 2012
- id Software Delays RAGE
- O2: 4G Auction Illegal Under EU Law
- Sony Hackers Send NHS Friendly Warning
- DNF Launches Overseas with Mixed Reviews
Typical for Apple.
1) A gas plant on site. Really? Apple is wealthy enough, they could at least have tried to minimise pollution by using solar power (these things can be integrated beautifully in the design). But no, let's save money at the expense of the environment.
Google is a greedy corporation too, but at least they try to use renewable power and do their bit to protect the environment.
2) A rounded shape? Pretty, but not very efficient when it comes to space usage. Result? Apple needs a bigger building with a larger surface area than would normally be the case. Which means? Even more wasted energy and thus pollution.
Typical for Apple.1) A gas plant on site. Really? Apple is wealthy enough, they could at least have tried to minimise pollution by using solar power (these things can be integrated beautifully in the design). But no, let's save money at the expense of the environment. Google is a greedy corporation too, but at least they try to use renewable power and do their bit to protect the environment.2) A rounded shape? Pretty, but not very efficient when it comes to space usage. Result? Apple needs a bigger building with a larger surface area than would normally be the case. Which means? Even more wasted energy and thus pollution.
I'm probably right in thinking that even if they'd proposed the most energy efficient complex ever devised, you'd still be here slating them for something completely different instead.
I'm probably right in thinking that even if they'd proposed the most energy efficient complex ever devised, you'd still be here slating them for something completely different instead.
While I'm not exactly an Apple fan, I'm not so biased that I would drag something else than the building itself into a discussion about the building...
It's just a very sad fact that Apple chose to build an HQ that looks pretty, but pollutes a lot more than is needed. More proof of Apple's lack of green credentials.
you mean gas, as in the cleanest of the fossil fuels?
it's not like they'll be burning coal and kittens over there, and even if they did it would have such a neglible effect it's not even worth thinking about. more than likely the trees will cancel out the whole lot anyway!
what a complete non-issue to get into a tiffy over; try harder next time!
you mean gas, as in the cleanest of the fossil fuels?it's not like they'll be burning coal and kittens over there, and even if they did it would have such a neglible effect it's not even worth thinking about. more than likely the trees will cancel out the whole lot anyway!what a complete non-issue to get into a tiffy over; try harder next time!
1) Gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, but still a fossil fuel. What's next? 'Rape is okay, after all murder is worse'?
2) You need to plant a lot of trees to compensate for the wasted gas.
3) If every corporate HQ was as clean as possible, the world would be a lot cleaner.
4) The Big One: Apple's site is full of talk about how environmentally friendly their products are. Yet still they score terribly low in the Green Computing lists, build wasteful HQ's and use heaps of deadly toxins in their factories (n-hexane anyone?)
Urgh, Eco Nazi's, Commenting, Makes me want the Apple fanboys back.
On a side note, I would have thought it would have been a decent idea to perhaps make an apple store near one entrance on campus as I'm sure there would be a great novelty to buying apple products from the campus they are designed on and novelty is after all what apple thrive on.
1) Gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, but still a fossil fuel. What's next? 'Rape is okay, after all murder is worse'?
Straight from the school of Ken Clarke!
I'm with Silmarunya on this one.
It's not so much about the actual environmental effect though as a small gas station isn't going to make a big difference on the grand scheme of things. What does matter is the image and how much a decision like this can affect public opinion. If Apple were to go down a route of renewable energy and use a combination of wind and solar power, it may considerably benefit the renewable energy stance. Using gas is almost a statement saying that Apple don't care that much.
This could be an opportunity for Apple to do something great, a bit like Google's sea water cooled server farm (or even using goats instead of lawn mowers). They could make a statement along the lines of not only innovative hardware and software (not necessarily my opinion...) but also supporting the forefront of new and renewable energy.
On the other hand, it didn't sound like they had any final plans on the matter of power beyond they felt they could make their own cheaper and cleaner than the grid, this may ultimately involve some forms of renewable energy. I also realise that they aren't building the facility to make any point on energy sources...
On the topic of costings, I'm not from America, but here in England and the EU there are grant schemes for using renewable energy in business - including selling the power back to the grid. I'm no expect, but I don't imagine such schemes exist for personal gas plants.
I bet Steve is trying to get back to his home planet...