Microsoft’s new Silicon Valley Campus, a 643,000-square-foot “modernization” of the tech giant’s 32-acre location in Mountain View, Calif., will be the company’s smartest, greenest office yet, according to a blog post by Microsoft chief technology officer Kevin Scott.
As wildfires rage, yet again, across Southern California, and as damage claims from the October wildfires in Northern California top $9 billion, it is timely that one of the campus’s top design priorities is to conserve something the state never seems to have enough of — water. The biggest part of that will be achieving net zero non-potable water certification under the Living Building Challenge. If Microsoft can pull that off, it reportedly will be the first tech company to achieve this certification.
Certification under the Living Building Challenge requires building performance demonstrated for 12 consecutive months in areas including water, energy and materials. The standard also allows “scale jumping,” to encourage cooperation between neighboring buildings. The campus’s integrated water management system will operate under the principle of putting non-potable water into service more than once.
“One hundred percent of the buildings’ non-drinking water will come from rainfall or on-site recycled water. This will be a first in Silicon Valley,” Pauline Souza, partner with WRNS Studio Architecture & Planning, said in an online presentation.
Some rain water will be retained on the four-acre green roof, while the remaining rain water, including that collected from paved areas, along with wastewater, will be collected, treated and stored onsite before being used for irrigation and plumbing. Furthermore, except for drinking fountains and sinks, none of the water for more than 2,000 employees, 15 acres of landscape and 643,000 square feet of built space will come from municipal sources.
Water is not the only factor in play, Scott wrote. The buildings are designed to meet LEED Platinum certification: solar panels will provide energy and the four-acre living roof will support native species in the area adjacent to the Stevens Creek habitat. Construction will feature sustainably sourced cross-laminated timber and exposed finishes throughout the campus.
“Many buildings start with a design concept and work backwards to mitigate harm to the local ecosystem and natural resources. Our design started with a different goal in mind — could we design a building that was actually beneficial and restorative to the local ecosystem?” Darren Lombardi, design and construction manager for the campus, said in the presentation.
To promote collaboration and productivity, a neighborhood and courtyard concept will make it easy for employees to move from outdoor to indoor spaces. And natural light through a glass exterior will be accessible from anywhere on campus.
Renovated dining facilities will provide healthy meal options as part of Microsoft’s commitment to the WELL Building standard. True to the company’s reputation, the campus will also feature athletic fields and an employee fitness facility.
The new campus is expected to be ready for occupancy in December 2019.
Mike Consol (m.consol@irei.com) is editor of Real Assets Adviser. Follow him on Twitter @mikeconsol to read his latest postings.