Google, Cambridge Campus Expansion, Massachusetts

Google came to Nelson in 2010 looking to design 20,000
SF of office and kitchen/café space. This modest
beginning rapidly grew into a 1200-person, multi-
building ‘campus’ located in the MIT Kendall Square area
of Cambridge, MA. Paramount to the project’s success
was the connection of 3 buildings surrounding a parking
garage with 2 purposefully built infill buildings forming
the nucleus of Google’s campus. Google’s corporate
design strategy includes creating spaces that reflect each
location’s history and character. Visioning sessions held
with ‘Googlers’ resulted in a master plan concept based
on Boston’s iconic MBTA transportation system, the “T”.
Each building is assigned a color coded 'line’ and each
floor a ‘stop.’ Inspired and guided by the stop’s
surrounds, the goal was to create a Boston/Cambridge
office. Highlights include a Red Line “Kendall Square”
stop as the main entrance. Visitors arrive inside a Red
Line subway car, setting up the overall campus
experience. Other stops include a micro kitchen with
real canoes referencing boating on the adjacent Charles
River. At “Charles/MGH” Red Line floor, the luxury
Liberty Hotel riffs off of the former infamous Charles
Street Jail, mixing lavish appointments with real jail cell
doors. A Back Bay Victorian row house library pays
homage to the Green Line “Arlington Street” stop, but
with a modern twist. The historic “Park Street” floor
offers an inspired cafe with rooftop garden views
interpreted as the Boston Public Gardens. And, at
America’s first public beach - the Blue Line’s “Revere
Beach” celebrates with a lighthouse and lounge. Nothing
is too outrageous to picture, and one-size-fits-all
workstations compliment an array of amenities fostering
productive ‘alone’ time as well as collaboration. While
innovation and creativity are crucial, Google’s metric
focus insures that everything meets data-driven criteria.
Google ha global commitment to sustainability and
spaces are LEED Gold or Platinum Certified.