Google has announced plans to build an entirely new campus for its workers in Mountain View, California.
Middlefield Park, as the area has been named, will span 40 acres of land and include every amenity one might expect from a small town - including homes, offices, shops, parks and sports fields.
Despite Google having recently informed employees they will work from home at least until mid-2021, the new village will boast 1.33 million square feet of office space and as many as 1,850 housing units.
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30,000 square feet will also be dedicated to retail, 20,000 to civic and event space, and 12 acres set aside for green areas.
New Google campus
The philosophy behind the new Google campus - that proximity to work makes for happier living - appears to contradict lessons learnt from the rise of remote working, which suggest collaboration and productivity are not contingent on physical presence.
Along with fellow technology giant Amazon, however, Google appears to have placed a significant bet on the long-term future of the office.
“[We want to] create a mixed-use neighborhood where a lot of the needs and services are within walking distance from where you live and work,” Michael Tymoff, Real Estate Director at Google, told the Mountain View Voice.
However, not only Google employees will live on the newly built campus; a portion of the new housing will be set aside for other San Franciscans and many of the campus facilities will be accessible to the public too.
The project will go some way to fulfilling the company’s billion-dollar commitment to building 20,000 new San Francisco homes, designed to alleviate tensions in the region over the effects of Silicon Valley giants on real estate prices.
The company is aiming to dedicate 20% of the new campus’ residential capacity to affordable housing (equating to roughly 350 units), building on progress made by another similar pending project in San Jose.
“We really see [Middlefield Park] as another step forward with our housing commitment,” added Tymoff.
The Mountain View project is still in its infant stages, however, with some buildings yet to be designed. It is unclear how long it will take to bring Middlefield Park to fruition.
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Via The Telegraph
