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First Americans Museum – ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Winner
Learn more about 2023 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Finalist, First Americans Museum (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma).
April 26, 2023
Olivia Richardson
Location: Silicon Valley, California
Owner / Developer: Google
Development Manager: Sares Regis Group of Northern California
Co-Designers: Heatherwick Studios; Bjarke Ingels Group; Executive Architect; Adamson Associates; Interior Architect; Studios Architecture
Site Size: 42 Acres
Bay View rethinks how buildings integrate with nature, providing healthy, sustainable places for people to do their best work. Totaling 1.1 million square feet across three buildings, Bay View has achieved LEED-NC v4 Platinum certification and is on track to be the largest facility to ever attain the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) Living Building Challenge (LBC) Water Petal Certification. The General Services Administration (GSA) issued an RFP for an Enhanced Use Lease Authority (EUL) for the 42-acre site with the intent to keep the spirit of NASA alive, be creative, and discover new technologies. The location of the site at NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, being near Google headquarters, was a logical choice. Google entered into an EUL with NASA in 2008 and this iteration of the project began in 2015. Construction started in 2017 and the campus opened in 2022.
As Google’s first-ever ground-up construction projects there was an opportunity to design and build completely from scratch — and Google knew they had to think differently. Google couldn’t have arrived at the design — the energy-efficient, light, and airy canvases with modular workspaces — without pushing the boundaries. Based on years of research and feedback, Google integrated biophilic features that increase well-being: natural lighting, thermal comfort, fine acoustics, proximity to nature, and promoting physical activity between destinations.
By focusing the high-traffic areas and amenities in the lower levels, and designing more work-focused levels above, Google removed the distractions that public areas can cause for heads-down work. These workspaces have access to natural light and views, with reduced glare through clerestory windows. The two levels of the buildings are connected by courtyards, to provide a visual connection between levels, while maximizing the benefits of restoration when moving between levels and different work modes.
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