What the Apple Spaceship Headquarters tells us about the future of work

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Apple has been building a new headquarters in Cupertino California, officially known as Apple Park. Construction of the new campus that extends over 175 acres is expected to be finished by the end of 2017.

The flying saucer-like building is over a mile around and surrounds an outdoor park. Apple executives believe that the new campus will enhance worker productivity, encourage innovation and benefit the environment at the same time.

Design determines function

The layout of the building was carefully considered by London architects, Foster and Partners.  An open-plan layout with employees seated around long custom-designed tables is designed to foster collaboration between teams.  The architects took into consideration which teams would need to work together.

As seen in any product by Apple, the shape determines the function. Jobs’ idea was to have modular sections or pods where people could work and collaborate. The pods would be repeated for office work, teamwork, and socializing. Not even the CEO would have his own suite.