Google has been very hush-hush when it comes to details of its new 1.1 million sq. ft. campus currently under construction in Mountain View, but we now know some ultra-green features for the mega-project that will be online in 2015. The 42-acre site will be located very close to sensitive wetlands, so Google will only be covering 5 percent of the land with office space, and reserving a full 15 percent to wetland recovery areas. The wetlands will be accessible to employees "which executives see as a potential source of inspiration and education."
Google hopes to keep travel time between any two locations on the campus under three minutes. To assist in this they will be installing an elevated bicycle track that will connect all nine buildings together in "an infinity loop," where one can "keep circling to your heart's content." Alternative modes of travel will be a theme at the new Googleplex, as cars will also be taking a secondary role. Only around 2,200 parking spaces will be built for the estimated 4,000 employees to work on the campus. A large portion of those spaces will be housed underground, but the rest will be located at a few surface parking lots. These lots, Google hopes, will be removed once more people embrace alternative ways of commuting to work. The project is chock-full of additional green features and is aiming for the highest possible LEED rating: platinum.
·Here's a Look at 'Bay View,' Google's Geeky New Home Base [Curbed SF]
·More details on Google's new ultra-green, bike-friendly Bay View campus [San Francisco Business Times]