Green Architecture in the Bay Area
By AtlasSF | July 17, 2007
This article is interesting and highlights the progress being made in this common sense technology to creating sustainable structures and communities. Check it out.
McDonough + Bay Area = Google By Alan G. Brake
The first new project is for VMware headquarters, a leader in “virtual machine” technology. McDonough has designed a sort of academic village set among 37 acres of mature redwoods in Palo Alto, the first phase of which, about a quarter of the project, opens in June. Five, two-story buildings totaling 460,000 square feet of office space will be connected via open bridges that allow workers to walk under the tree canopy when going from building to building. The complex will feature green roofs as well as an interior courtyard with recreational uses such as a dining area and a bocce court; all employees will have views outside.
“The site is tucked into the foothills and includes some phenomenal stands of redwoods,” Burke says. “The buildings are recessive. The emphasis is on orchestrating movement through the landscape.”
McDonough is also reportedly working with Google on a massive research and office complex at the NASA Ames research center, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. “I can only say that we are doing work with Google,” Burke says, adding that the firm signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Internet giant. The project, the Chronicle wrote, could include as much as 1 million square feet of office space and would be a major commitment to sustainability on the part of the company, which is a heavy energy consumer. “They are under tremendous scrutiny,” Burke
The Bay Area is a mix of urban, coastal, and forest. The historical landscape of San Francisco consisted of a series of monstrous sand dunes and marsh. Now high-rises and condo’s sit perched upon this changing landscape. The progress and shortcomings over the last century is a testament to human perseverance and ingenuity. Sustainable technologies incorporated with architecture and design seem like a natural progression in creating more efficient habitable spaces. I am excited to see large corporations like Gap and Google embrace the changing tide that is ushering in a moral and social change in regards to being stewards of the environment and it’s finite resources.
Topics: Architecture |