Designed by Heatherwick Studio and BIG, Google Bay View is Google’s first purpose-built headquarters. Located on a campus spanning two sites in Mountain View, California – Bay View and Charlestone East – the built headquarters is rooted in a primary question: how can the office become more human?
The first phase to be completed includes three of the most sustainable workplace buildings in the works, established within a 17.3-acre park and wetlands reserve. Below ground is the largest geothermal pile system in North America while above ground, a tent-like enclosure made of photovoltaic tiles turns energy generation into a design feature.
The project delivers a pioneering approach to the large-scale use of integrated photovoltaics. The solid areas are clad in dragon-scale tiles which will generate 40% of the buildings’ annual energy needs. On the windows, an automated system of blinds tracks the path of the sun to eliminate glare. And the high-performance canopy integrates rainwater harvesting as part of a strategy that puts Bay View on track to achieve ‘Water Petal’ certification in the International Living Future Institute’s Living Building Challenge.
The office design is a simple two-level structure with a mat of interconnected ‘tables’ joined together by accessible ramps. The campus functions as a giant canopy, human-centred, and filled with life. Each design team drew on core urban principles with each table understood as a neighbourhood of 40 to 80 people organized around a distinctive courtyard that includes works of art. Like in a city, there is a hierarchy of circulation routes from lanes to main avenues.
The canopy itself is a lightweight but rigid catenary structure. Between the columns, the tension in the structure is adjusted, allowing the enclosure to peel back and create wave-like clerestories.
Careful analysis and modelling determined the ideal balance between solid and glazed areas. The aim was to give the sense of working in the open air while creating optimal lighting, temperature, acoustic and air quality conditions. And for the times when teams need to work in a quiet, focused space, there are demountable prefabricated units.
In response to ongoing water resource pressures in the state, the project includes retention ponds that capture roughly 7m gallons of stormwater, resulting in a new wetland habitat. In addition, a natural system onsite collects, treats, and reuses wastewater. As a result of these measures, Bay View can meet 100% of the project demand for non-potable water, while providing treated wastewater back to the community.
The site is anticipated to achieve a LEED-NC v4 Platinum certification.
