In a shocking turn of events, Apple has decided to take a leap of faith in innovation and try something completely new. Wait, they already do that, don’t they? Man, these guys are good.
According to the U.K.’s Daily Mail, Apple and its team of architects are building a massive UFO-shaped campus that should be completed sometime in early 2016. It is being built on a 175-acre construction site in the company’s birthplace, Cupertino, CA.
This gives Apple employees yet another thing to brag about to all their friends and family. The “superoffice” will be as loaded with amenities as any office in history, but the project is also being lauded for its potential to boost spirits in the workplace by giving employees some beautiful scenery to look at for inspiration.
In addition to a full-sized Apple Store and gymnasium inside the office, the main reason for developing the “spaceship” was to create an aesthetic value that is unattainable in a normal office.
Employees who drive to work will leave their cars in an underground parking area, eliminating the depressing parking lot views of most office windows. It’s sort of an “office mind game” that Apple is trying out, replacing asphalt parking lots with calming landscapes featuring oak trees and orchards to improve employee morale.
Sir Norman Foster, chief architect of the project, gave some insight into the inspiration for the design, and it’s no surprise that much of the idea stems from Apple founder Steve Jobs.
“The car would visually be banished, and tarmac would be replaced by greenery, and car parks by jogging and bicycle trails,” said Foster.
Improving the design of an office can be an important part of streamlining communication and reinvigorating the creativity of employees. In fact, a recent national survey showed that 90% of senior officials believe that effective workplace design can improve employee productivity.
According to BrandChannel, Apple CEO Tim Cook is praising the new office, deeming it a “home for innovation and creativity for decades to come.”
So when you look out your office window and see only pigeons picking at scraps of food in the parking lot, try not to send your hate-mail directly to Apple employees; this wasn’t their idea.