#COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS
facebook expands its campus with additional frank gehry-designed building
facebook has revealed images of a new building completed at its menlo park headquarters in california.
facebook has revealed images of a new building completed at its menlo park headquarters in california. titled ‘MPK 21′, the structure — as with the campus’ other buildings — has been designed by frank gehry and was constructed in less than 18 months. the offices are topped with a 3.6-acre roof garden that features over 200 trees and a half-mile meandering pathway. the company also wanted to establish a closer relationship with nature inside the building: the ‘town square’ is a sheltered green space with 40-foot-tall redwood trees, while ‘the bowl’ has been conceived as amphitheater-style courtyard.
facebook says that the building was designed to promote teamwork and to allow staff work to their full potential. an open workspace encourages collaboration between teams, while quieter areas are provided for more focused work. running the length of the building, a single pathway connects five dining options, 15 art installations, and a 2,000-person event and meeting space with A/V technology. the workplace also encourages active engagement internally and externally with pedestrian walkways, access to various outdoor areas, visible stairways, and flexible work stations.
frank gehry worked closely with facebook to reduce the building’s impact on the environment in terms of water, energy, and waste. a reclaimed water system will save approximately 17 million gallons of water each year, while the roof includes 1.4 MW of photovoltaic solar panels — intended to generate nearly 2 million kWh of electricity annually. additionally, bird-friendly glazing allows for clear views and natural daylighting, which reduces the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours. the building is also designed to achieve LEED platinum certification through the US green building council.
‘as we add offices in other cities in the bay area, we remain invested in menlo park, which will be our headquarters for the foreseeable future,’ says john tenanes, facebook’s VP global facilities and real estate. ‘it was important to us that MPK 21, which sits on a former unoccupied industrial site, be consistent with the natural environment and our neighboring communities.’
in 2019, the social media company plans to complete a two-acre park with a public plaza and event space, capable of hosting facebook festivals, a mobile farmers’ market, and other local programs. as part of the project, a community bike and pedestrian bridge will be built over the bayfront expressway — a landmark feature that will connect the neighborhood and campus to recreational trails and parks along the san francisco bay.