Archinect - News

Google pauses work on 'Downtown West' San Jose development

2023-04-25T11:48:00-04:00

As part of Google’s downsizing that went into effect early this year, the company has gutted its development team for the San Jose campus. The construction project, which was supposed to break ground before the end of 2023, has been put on pause, and no plan to restart construction has been communicated to contractors, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named due to non-disclosure agreements.

The news broke on Friday amid a sector-wide fallout caused in part by the tech recession. CNBC reported that some sources now speculate as to whether or not the 80-acre development will be completed at the same scale though both LendLease and Google have reaffirmed their commitment to it in written statements. Google has now incurred $500 million in losses for the first quarter of the year alone on office lease exit fees.

Previously on Archinect: Google wins approval for 'Downtown West' mega campus in San Jose

Kohn Pedersen Fox, Heatherwick Studio, Grimshaw Architects, SHoP Architects, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, SITELAB urban studio, and West 8 were among the design firms attached to the construction, which was to be the single largest in San Jose history. The project was approved in 2021 after years of planning and an exchange with local opposition groups that ended in the decision to commit to adding $450 million worth of affordable housing and other community initiatives.

Google wins approval for 'Downtown West' mega campus in San Jose

2021-05-26T11:04:00-04:00

Google’s major campus development in San Jose, California has been unanimously approved by city officials. “Downtown West” will see the delivery of 7.3 million square feet of office space for 20,000 workers, as well as thousands of housing units, spread across an 80-acre site. The scheme involves a number of prominent architecture and urban design firms, including Kohn Pedersen Fox, Heatherwick Studio, Grimshaw Architects, SHoP Architects, Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB), SITELAB urban studio, and West 8 (landscape design).

Image: Google / SITELAB Urban Studio

The project is the largest single project ever proposed for San Jose and is reported to cost more than $1 billion. The campus will include 4000 housing units, 1000 of which are allocated as affordable units in a state that needs 3.5 million housing units for all income levels over the next four years to meet demands. The scheme will also include 300 hotel rooms and 800 residences as short-term accommodation for corporate guests, ...

Google's Sunnyvale plans include two building by Bjarke Ingels Group

2018-01-08T15:16:00-05:00

Google on Wednesday unveiled its plans for a striking new development in Sunnyvale’s Moffett Park, where thousands of the company’s employees could work in more than 1 million square feet of offices. The search giant filed a proposal with Sunnyvale city officials late Wednesday for a two-building, 1.04 million square foot project, called Caribbean, that would be large enough to accommodate 4,500 Google workers.

Google's massive expansion plan in Sunnyvale include two buildings designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Renderings of the new project show a complex named the Caribbean featuring long inclines allowing employees to walk, bike, or skate to any level of the building. Located on Caribbean Drive, these two buildings would make up just a piece of the company's total $1 billion purchase of about 50 properties in Sunnyvale.

Mark Golan, chief operating officer of Google’s global real estate investments & development unit, stated during an interview, "Google has made a significant investment in Sunnyvale... Our intent would be to develop that out over time." While Google has big plans for it's new complex, the site is not projected to be up and running with employees until at least 2021.

With enough sites purchased by google, there is a good chance housing could be developed as well as offices. Golan revealed, “A new mixed-use community where you have live-work capabilities, makes a lot o...