Inspired by the dynamic relationship of converging biomes in California’s Santa Clara Valley, the 18-acre Central + Wolfe Campus reimagines the traditional Silicon Valley workplace. This curvilinear, concrete-and-glass campus unites three building “petals” to form a single, clover-shaped facility, serving as a Research and Technology Park for Apple.

Comprised of two, LEED Platinum-certified buildings and a standalone parking garage that envelope a central green quad, Central + Wolfe’s permeable, green-filled park features a host of art and amenities and is shared with the surrounding lower income neighborhood. As part of Apple’s renewable energy real estate portfolio, this Net Zero Energy campus is powered by 100 percent renewable energy and is sustainably crafted to co-exist with its Bay Area natural ecosystems.

The complex features a sweeping, faceted façade with floor-to-ceiling glass that unites three office wings. Each of the building “petals” has four floors of office space resting atop a floor that houses secure entry lobbies, and a two-story naturally ventilated parking podium. The wings appear to float above the third-floor entry bridge porte-cochères, which resemble giant porches and give passersby clear views into the heart of the campus.

Furthermore, large, elliptical floor plates promote collaboration among occupants. Sixty-foot-wide occupied spaces link the interior workspaces across three floors, creating a single, contiguous workplace. These walkable, 200,000-square foot floor plates help break down psychological barriers to interaction and encourage chance encounters to spur innovation. The building’s 13-and-a-half-foot ceilings are made possible by the post-tensioned, cast-in-place concrete structural system. Partitions are kept low and away from exterior walls, inviting daylight into the space.

The design extends the concrete floor slabs as protruding fins that act as built-in sunshades, protecting the glass walls from direct solar heat gain and glare. A multilayered light shelf applied to the façade delivers natural light deep within the floorplate. As a result, occupants are never more than 30 feet from the exterior glazing through which they can soak up daylight and take in outdoor views of the on-site landscaping, nearby trails and the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Moreover, the campus hosts a full complement of amenities. Shaped like a quarter circle, the amenities building features sweeping, full-story glass walls, and upper-level clerestory windows that create the sensation of being on an open porch. A large, overhanging roof allows dining and gathering spaces to spill out onto an outdoor patio on the central quad.

The campus encourages workers to connect with nature through outdoor terraces, courtyards and green spaces by flipping the existing model of 10% natural space throughout parking. The design creates an open, park-like environment with 55% natural space. Parking is shifted to two levels of podium and a stand-alone garage. Uncommon for Silicon Valley, where most buildings are ringed by surface parking lots, this strategy preserves more than half the site as permeable landscaped green spaces, open plazas, sports courts, and trails.
Overall, the campus’ distinctive, highly sustainable design delivers a technology campus like no other, creating a lush office park in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Category:Green ArchitectureAward Year:2025Location: Sunnyvale, California, USAArchitects:Helmuth Obata Kassabaum (HOK)Lead Architect:Paul WoolfordGeneral Contractor:Level 10 Construction CompanyClient:Apple Computer Inc. and Jay Paul Co.Photographers:Tim Griffith Photography