The Aesthetics of Big Tech

The San Francisco Bay Area is synonymous with leading edge technology and innovation. Many of the biggest and wealthiest tech giants have huge operations in the region, which has resulted in a tremendous investment in the design and construction of workplace facilities. As companies express their values through the design and construction of their spaces, the company leaves a legacy through its built form. What are the metrics for evaluating this legacy? The answer may be found in understanding how responsible a company is regarding Sustainability, Aesthetics, Integration of new technology, Timelessness, and perhaps something uniquely California.

This paper will look at the extent to which facade design and building technology in the Bay Area has been influenced by the innovative drive of Big Tech. Companies including LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, and Apple have major projects either recently completed or currently underway around the region. Access to design intent information is nearly impossible to gain, as all of these companies typically maintain high confidentiality around their projects. The method for analysis will include observing the design of facades, and through reviewing publicly available documentation. The end product will be an art-historical analysis looking at the influence of Big Tech on the design and construction industry.

The hypothesis is that the legacy left by Big Tech on building design and construction is: 1. large size - these facilities are huge, 2. high cost - very expensive, 3. responsible and sustainable - projects are aspirational and set a high bar, 4. inaccessible beauty: the aesthetics ultimately do not achieve poetry because they are too private and suburban, leaving all but the employees to never gain access to the experience.