First renders of 1.1M square foot ‘Bay View’ Google-plex designed with architecture firm NBBJ

Seth Weintraub | Feb 22 2013 - 6:55 pm PT

Vanity Fair today posts the first renderings of Google’s first ‘from scratch’ building dubbed Bay View which it is building on land it leased from NASA in 2008 for 40 years and which overlooks San Francisco Bay. The project is designed by Architecture firm NBBJ.

The more you look at the complex, however, the more intriguing it is. The new campus, which the company is calling Bay View, consists of nine roughly similar structures, most of which will be four stories high, and all of which are shaped like rectangles that have been bent in the middle. The bent rectangles are arranged to form large and small courtyards, and several of the buildings have green roofs. All of the structures are connected by bridges, one of which will bring people directly to one of the green roofs that has been done up with an outdoor café and gathering space. And cars, the bane of almost every suburban office complex, including the Googleplex, are hidden away.

By comparison, Apple’s new ‘Spaceship Campus’ building is about 2.5 times as big.

The project was actually announced in 2011 but the press release no longer lives on the company website. From the *ahem* Google cache:

We are thrilled to announce that NBBJ has been selected to design a new 1.1 million square foot facility for Google in Mountain View, California. The scope of work includes integrated new construction, interiors and workplace design. This will be Google’s first build-to-suit new construction project. Both Google and NBBJ have high expectations for sustainability and healthy, creative work environments. Together, we will explore innovative materials and processes for construction.

https://twitter.com/SteveNBBJ/status/147365767778795521

Google commented, ‘We are beginning construction on our new Bayview Campus, which is a key to our growth and another sign of our commitment to the area. As this project progresses, we’ll continue to work closely with NASA, the community and the City of Mountain View.’

The terms of the land deal from NASA are as follows:

Under the terms of this enhanced-use lease (EUL), Google will pay NASA an initial base rent of $3.66 million per year. This rate is based on appraisals establishing fair market value of the land. NASA will use the proceeds to cover the full cost of the lease and the balance may be used for capital revitalization and improvements of the real property assets at Ames.The 40-year lease provides for periodic escalations and adjustments of rent. Google may extend the lease for three 10-year terms. After that, NASA and Google may agree to extend the lease two additional 10-year terms. If all extensions are exercised, the lease term will be a total of 90 years. NASA will retain control over the project during its construction phase, including approving the design, issuing building permits, conducting inspections and monitoring construction.Construction will proceed in three phases. The first phase is planned to begin by the end of September 2013, the second phase by 2018 and the third by 2022. While the majority of the development will consist of office and R&D space, Google also plans to construct company housing and amenities such as dining, sports, fitness, child care, conference and parking facilities for its employees, as well as recreation and park facilities and infrastructure improvements for NASA’s use.

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