novelno Chapter 177 Visiting Headquarters
Chapter 177 Visiting Headquarters
Chapter 177 Visiting Headquarters
Ernst did not linger in Menlo Park and set off for Mountain View that same day.
The streetlights were dim at night, casting shadows on his sharply defined profile through the car window. He gazed at the rapidly receding street scene outside, but his thoughts were on the establishment of the Sun God Research Institute.
The research institute's office space has been selected long ago and is currently in the final setup stage.
The main focus is on the installation of office equipment and computer equipment.
Cassio needed to return to Amazon immediately to handle the handover of his work, but he didn't need to worry too much about the situation at the research institute, as Toby was there to oversee things.
Although it was only a day, Ernst had already gained a basic understanding of Toby. He was a meticulous and responsible person, and with him around, all the preliminary work of the research institute could be managed in an orderly manner.
Once Ernst has assembled a professional team for the research institute, staffing key departments such as finance, human resources, and legal affairs, and deposited funds into a dedicated account, the institute will be able to officially get on track.
During his visit to Silicon Valley, Ernst had another crucial purpose besides meeting with three key figures at the Helios Institute: to tour the construction site of Google's new headquarters.
Strictly speaking, Google's new headquarters cannot be considered completed yet; it can only be said that its current condition meets basic usage needs.
As Google's business continues to expand, the number of employees is also increasing rapidly. Ernst even couldn't help but wonder to himself, will Google's headquarters ever be completely completed?
The planned office buildings may not even be fully occupied before a new expansion plan is put on the agenda.
Correspondingly, various supporting buildings must also expand accordingly.
After all, with more employees, the demand for supporting facilities such as canteens and entertainment facilities will also increase.
Based on Ernst's experience and predictions, Google's headquarters will be under continuous construction for at least the next three or four years, and it is almost impossible for it to be completely shut down one day.
Charleston, Mountain View, is home to Google's headquarters.
After resting for a night in Mountain View, when Ernst and his party arrived the next day, the first thing that caught their eye was the brand-new Google logo at the entrance.
The sign, with its faint metallic sheen and brand-new look, stands there all alone, like a sentinel on duty, welcoming every visitor.
In stark contrast to the brand-new sign is the surrounding environment, where large machinery is engaged in intensive civil engineering work.
Excavators swung their massive iron arms, constantly digging through the soil; bulldozers roared, leveling the mounds of earth; seeders followed closely behind, planting lawns; and trucks came and went, transporting building materials and trees.
The entire area looked like a mess, making Google's gate appear as desolate as a gatehouse suddenly erected in the desert.
Is this the era of streaking?
Ernst stood there, looking at the desolate yet bustling scene before him, feeling a mix of amusement and bewilderment.
Sergey Brin stood beside Ernst, and further to his side was Leon Chandler, the owner of the construction contractor, whose face was plastered with a fawning smile and whose eyes were filled with awe for Ernst.
You have no choice but to curry favor with him. His company is just a medium-sized local construction company, so getting a big project like Google headquarters is incredibly lucky.
The workload of this project is equivalent to the total business volume of their company in the past two years.
Moreover, as Google's reputation grows, being able to participate in the construction of Google's headquarters is also a huge boost to the reputation of these construction companies.
He had already planned in his mind that in the future, when he went out to take on projects, he would proudly say, "Google's headquarters was built by my company."
It's estimated that it can beat 99% of the competing companies, which is undoubtedly a golden brand.
Perhaps noticing the unpleasant look on Ernst's face, Leon Chandler immediately took the pre-prepared renderings of the finished product from his secretary, bowed deeply, and approached Ernst with a respectful and humble attitude.
"Don't worry, I've brought over all the workers we have in the company. Everyone is working overtime to finish the project as soon as possible."
As Leon Chandler spoke, he pointed to the construction area with its yellow dust rising in the distance and promised confidently, "Don't be fooled by how bare this place looks now, no different from a wasteland. Once it's completed, this place will look just like the renderings. You definitely won't be disappointed."
Pointing to the exquisite patterns on the rendering, he continued to describe vividly, "At that time, the external environment of the entire headquarters will resemble a natural ecological park, encircling the entire office area and echoing the main building to form a fully functional and beautiful office park."
"The greenery throughout the park will be spectacular, with green space accounting for over 60% and trees covering over 30%. We plan to plant over 3000 trees, including native oaks, as well as various fruit trees such as apples, apricots, and cherries. When these fruits ripen each year, the entire park will be filled with fragrance, like a green ocean, a natural oxygen bar. Employees will definitely feel incredibly comfortable working and living in such an environment."
"In terms of transportation, in addition to the well-connected main roads and auxiliary roads, we will also build more than 4 kilometers of walking and jogging trails that meander through the park."
"In addition, there will be camping meadows, various sports fields, terraces, and a sizable pond, providing employees with opportunities to relax, exercise, and unwind after work."
Ernst looked intently at the renderings in Leon Chandler's hand and listened to his passionate and confident descriptions. His initially unpleasant expression gradually softened.
The renderings are indeed captivating, with lush greenery, well-arranged buildings, and well-equipped leisure areas all showcasing the appearance of a modern and human-centered office park.
However, he also knew that it would be impossible to see the effect shown in the renderings in less than one or two years.
Furthermore, Google's business may continue to expand during this period, and the main office buildings will definitely need to be increased, and the area of the entire headquarters may need to be further expanded.
So Ernst figured that if he could see Google headquarters largely completed within three years, he would be lucky.
Fortunately, the biggest architectural challenge for the headquarters was landscaping, not those towering skyscrapers.
And it's 1997 now, not 2017.
Otherwise, given the slow pace of American workers, it would probably take five, seven, or eight years for the headquarters to be completed.
The main building is not a high-rise building, which greatly saved the most crucial construction time.
The landscaping work can be completed simultaneously using large-scale mechanized processes, which greatly improves efficiency. These are the main reasons why construction time can be shortened.
Thinking about this, Ernst felt a little more relaxed.
"Is this America? Are you sure it's not Africa?"
A clear, crisp female voice instantly soured Ernst's mood again.
Ernst glared at her with displeasure, then boarded the shuttle bus and entered the headquarters.
Although the outside is still in a mess, the internal situation is much better. It can only be said that Google's headquarters is small but complete.
Leon Chandler pointed to a building in front of him and introduced it as "the A1 executive building, which is mainly used as offices for the group's senior management."
As everyone entered the building, he pointed to the ceiling and said, "Look, the huge glass dome above allows sunlight to stream in naturally during the day, creating soft natural light that illuminates the entire interior. It's both energy-efficient and environmentally friendly."
As the main administrative building, it was the first to be constructed and used relatively few chemical materials, with more wood decoration. Therefore, it is now ready for use and is one of the few buildings in the entire headquarters area that is currently in normal working order.
Unfortunately, the weather was rather gloomy today, with the sky covered by thick clouds, and no sunlight could penetrate the clouds to shine down. Ernst was unable to witness the scene of sunlight filling the interior that Sergei Brin had described.
Ernst toured the main administration building, carefully familiarizing himself with the function of each room, from the conference rooms to the offices of the senior executives, including his own office.
Afterwards, the group went to another office building not far away. This building was the headquarters' internal lounge area, and like the A1 administration building, it also adopted a unique atrium design.
The difference is that A1 has a paneled glass roof, while this building is completely hollow.
In the middle of the office building, a huge palm tree soars to the top, its branches and leaves lush, like a giant open umbrella, adding a rich tropical touch to the entire space.
There are also various tropical flowers that I don't know the names of, blooming in competition, colorful and beautiful, emitting a charming fragrance.
Ernst estimates that transplanting this palm tree and the surrounding greenery alone will cost two to three hundred thousand dollars.
This place is practically a mini botanical garden built inside an office building. Employees must feel very comfortable when they relax here.
Ernst stood in the middle, feeling the comfort and ease brought by this unique design, and he greatly admired the idea.
Leon Chandler pointed to the rooms around him and explained, "All the rooms on the first floor are swimming pools. They can be divided into four separate areas, or they can be connected to form a huge circular pool to meet the needs of different employees."
This was a design Ernst hadn't expected; it was the first time he'd seen a swimming pool set up in an office building, and he couldn't help but find it quite unconventional.
"The second floor houses various sports facilities, including basketball courts, badminton courts, and table tennis courts, where employees can enjoy a variety of ball sports."
"The third floor is a game room and a cinema area, while the fourth floor has a spa and gym, where employees can enjoy spa services or exercise to maintain good physical condition."
"The original plan was just to build this leisure building, but as the number of employees continued to increase, the existing facilities could no longer meet the needs, so we planned another identical building on the east side."
Leon Chandler added, "Once the two buildings are completed, they can accommodate no fewer than 600 people at the same time to relax and have fun."
This building is essentially Google's entertainment complex, where employees can play games, watch movies, relax, and relieve work stress during their free time.
Ernst did not immediately go upstairs to check the other floors; his gaze fell on the four corners on the first floor.
The space there is recessed and protruding, and from the outside, it looks like a semi-open structure.
"Are these reserved for the water bar?" Ernst asked, puzzled.
Leon Chandler nodded quickly and replied with a smile, "That's right, not just the water bar, but also external business opportunities. Fast food restaurants like KFC, coffee shops like Starbucks, or convenience stores are all our target customers. This way, the employees' living needs can be better met within headquarters."
Ernst frowned slightly upon hearing this and turned to look at Sergei Brin.
He knew perfectly well that such an avant-garde design idea must have come from Sergei Brin; otherwise, the builders would not have made such a plan.
However, he had some doubts. With Google's current number of employees, would any businesses really be willing to move in? After all, businesses are considering foot traffic and profits, and they won't easily invest if there isn't enough foot traffic.
Sergey Brin seemed to have read Ernst's mind and quickly explained, "You may not know this, but Google is about to undergo another large-scale expansion. Your previous Google Tunes project was very creative, and it inspired our employees. Someone suggested making movie-themed Tunes. If music can be distributed and sold online, why can't movies?"
"This is an excellent proposal. I have decided to invest heavily in setting up a dedicated project team, which I believe will become a new growth driver for Google's business."
"So, just considering the newly hired employees and their families, Google headquarters will have a daily foot traffic of around two thousand people. This foot traffic is enough to attract these chain brands to move in. They will definitely see the business opportunities here, and it can also be considered a source of revenue for Google."
Netflix?
He never imagined that by simply borrowing some ideas from Apple, he would unexpectedly put Google on the same track as Netflix.
Next, Ernst and his entourage visited the restaurant and several other office buildings.
Actually, there's not much to look at closely, because most of these buildings are newly built, unfinished houses with bare walls and dusty floors. All the beautiful future scenes have to be built up in imagination.
The data center and makeshift temporary office area, however, are already taking shape.
Inside the data center, rows of servers stand neatly arranged, their indicator lights flashing faintly and emitting a low rumble. This is the core hub of Google's entire business, handling massive amounts of data processing and storage tasks.
The temporary office area is simple, but it's only temporary.
"When do you plan to move?" Ernst asked.
"The data center still needs some time for final debugging and improvement, probably another week, so I plan to set the headquarters relocation date for ten days from now," Sergei Brin replied, his tone full of anticipation.