CONCEPT DESIGN & NEW TECHNOLOGY
Driven by the visionary goal to create a seamless indoor-outdoor experience for Google's employees, this project features a series of immense glass canopies designed to bathe the workspace in natural light while maintaining perfect comfort. The concept, developed for Google's Silicon Valley headquarters, clad these vast domes with a dynamic, kinetic shading system—comprised of individual technical fabric panels that operate on a network of precision cables. Each 8x8 foot 'handkerchief' opens and closes by elegantly wrapping around a motorized spindle, creating a living, breathing facade that performs in harmony with the sun.
As a key member of the skin team, I was instrumental in developing these very glass canopies and their innovative shading devices. My work focused on translating the ambitious architectural vision into a technical reality, ensuring the system not only met rigorous performance criteria to reduce glare and control temperature but also achieved the graceful, performative elegance that defined the entire project. While the final design evolved, our pioneering work at this concept stage set the foundational principles for creating a responsive and truly unique biophilic environment.
Client: Google Inc.
Architect: Heatherwick Studio & BIG
Location: Silicon Valley, USA
Status: Completed 'final design has evolved from this concept design stage'
