Business Forecast: Sun; KMD and Sun Microsystems Team to Design the Office Campus of the Future.

Business Editors

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 28, 2001

After a quick ping-pong match in the rec. room you grab a latte and your laptop and pick a spot on the lawn by the clock tower to begin your work. Sound like your typical day on campus? It is if you work at Sun Microsystems.

Back to Campus

On an 18 acre plot of land in Silicon Valley, international architecture firm KMD and Sun Microsystems are creating the workplace of the future. This new campus fosters a community of co-workers who come together each day not just to get the job done, but also to bond with each other. It is a place where Sun's corporate values of innovation and exploration are aggressively encouraged.

Historically, the "office campus" was an outgrowth of the business park in rigid, orthogonal layout. There was very little variety in the shared spaces and interaction between employees was not fostered by the design. The new Sun model was designed for a free flowing exchange of ideas between employees with spaces that encourage them to gather both inside the buildings and outside in courtyards and squares. With network and internet connections available almost anywhere employees can set up their "desk" in the place they feel most productive. The modernistic interior design transforms the light-filled, open area into a workplace reminiscent of an artist's SOHO loft with high-tech overtones that sparks creativity and the production of ideas.

Meeting places and points-of-reference are created by iconographic tower structures, piazzas and street systems reminiscent of medieval villages and European style academic campuses. Each building has its own distinct tower making it easier to navigate the wide-open spaces. All the imagery and amenities you think of or wish for when you hear the word campus -- colorful facilities, round-the-clock coffee bars, a full-service fitness center, intimate courtyards and a wide range of dining options -- are available 24 hours a day seven days a week. Here, Sun's energetic, highly motivated team of creative professionals can maximize their potential.

Innovation Through Discovery

Before the first design was drafted, KMD performed extensive research to understand the people for whom they were building, their unique generational traits, cultures and values. The challenge was to create workspaces indoors and out that promote social interaction, which afford employees the opportunity to work together in a positive, 24/7 environment. In essence, the design increases productivity by encouraging knowledge creation and sharing.

Innovation in Speed, Efficiency and Delivery

The first building (from inception of design to first occupant) was completed in 11 months and with a $110 per square foot overall construction budget, the design team actually beat Sun's cost goals. The financial and timing success was due to the many calculated risks taken by both Sun and KMD. "We were willing to work in a multi-package, multi-million dollar arena and we implemented a fast-track approach," noted Richard Sheng of KMD. In fact, the design and construction team delivered a new building every four to six weeks, making it the shortest duration of any Sun project implemented on a similar scale.

Since 1963, KMD has combined innovation and creativity to provide exceptional healthcare, academic, government and commercial design and architectural services. The largest Bay Area architectural firm, based in San Francisco, with eight offices in four countries, KMD believes that experimentation and investigation of interpersonal interaction with the built environment are central to their practice as architects, planners and researchers. KMD has worked in over 25 U.S. states, France, Japan, Korea, Spain, Germany, Brazil, China and Mexico and has won over 100 design awards, 35 from the AIA (American Institute of Architects) and one of architecture's highest awards presented by the President of the United States. Notable KMD designs range from Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif.; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York; Nadya Park Design Center in Japan and Hewlett-Packard in Mexico City. For more information about KMD visit www.kmd-arch.com.