A Sunny Day in Sunnyvale
Moffett Gateway, Location: Sunnyvale, CA, Architect: DES Architects
Moffett Gateway, Location: Sunnyvale, CA, Architect: DES Architects
Moffett Gateway, Location: Sunnyvale, CA, Architect: DES Architects
Moffett Gateway, Location: Sunnyvale, CA, Architect: DES Architects
Moffett Gateway, Location: Sunnyvale, CA, Architect: DES Architects
Moffett Gateway, Location: Sunnyvale, CA, Architect: DES Architects
Moffett Gateway, Location: Sunnyvale, CA, Architect: DES Architects
Moffett Gateway, Location: Sunnyvale, CA, Architect: DES Architects
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As Silicon Valley continues to be the hotspot for the tech world, companies are reimagining what the workplace really means. It’s still just a place to work, right? Well, the designers at DES Architects + Engineers and Jay Paul Company might argue otherwise. We recently had the opportunity to visit Google’s newest campus in Sunnyvale CA. The Moffett Gateway campus has raised the bar in our book.The 15 acre campus is so much more than office. The parking lots are divided by sections of trees providing shade from the Northern California sun. In the heart of everything is a full acre with an open grass field that just begs to be enjoyed. They say work is no walk in the park, but what happens if you have to walk through one to get there? Mixing nature with business appears to be one of DES Architects’ strong suits. Which leads to, I think, their most successful example of this, the rooftop garden.When you have a big client coming to town, or arethrowing a company party, or maybe you want your employees to relax during lunch, you need to have the place for it! On the roof of the Amenities Building is a 30,000 square foot rooftop garden. Catered with firepits, barbecues, adirondack chairs, and bocce ball courts, the list goes on! It offers a stunning respite to all of those long Mondays and gives you way more than just a break room. Below this magical landscape is yet another feature that will either get you in early or will keep you late.On the first floor of the Amenities Building is the fitness center. With brand new equipment, a caring staff, and some amazing views, employees have a chance to stay fit even in the busy season. This line of fitness centers has been so successful in the workplace that it is a now a flourishing fitness center chain throughout northern California. Sporting the latest tech in fitness, offering yoga classes, and even equipped with a steam room, this place seems to have it all.Well okay so this place isn’t all fun and games, though I do like that part a lot. This campus is home to 2 seven story high rises with big blue windows on all sides which reflect the clouds in the sky. More and more clients are asking us to use people - models, extras, stand-ins. These people are a vital part to photographing brand new building like this as it brings an energy that isn't there quite yet.A lot of the spaces I photograph these days are big, brand new buildings with no one in them yet. With a place such as this, you wouldn’t really get the true scale or sense of the project. People help to define how the space can be used, they energize it. But if the buildings are empty, what’s there to do? Well, we utilize various methods and work with many different agencies dependent on the location to accommodate this need. Our process includes a casting stage where clients have the ability pick and choose the desired people that show how the space should be used. And with the help of a great team and the magic of a walkie-talkie, we are able to coordinate and direct the models wherever they may need to go, even when they are all the way in the back.The Moffett Gateway is a prime example of an exciting new workplace. From beautiful buildings with amazing views to bocce ball on the roof, the place alone could make any business envious. I surely enjoyed photographing such an awesome project. Can’t wait to see what they come up with next!Moffett Gateway was recently featured by The Registry, a quarterly Bay Area real estate magazine and we are excited to see it!