Microsoft wants to transform its campus in Mountain View, Calif. into a 32-acre “smartest, greenest office yet.” Accessed via GeekWire, the video shows plans for rooftop gardens and natural greenery, on-site non-potable water reclamation, a collegiate atmosphere with natural light, and “habitat restoration.” Along with increased attention on California’s trouble with drought, the campus is also a good marketing move, making the company look slick in the days of Apple’s eye-catching UFO-shaped office in Cupertino, Calif. and cities competing for Amazon’s second headquarters. Such transformations sometimes have negative effects on the quality of life in neighboring residential areas, though. The campus is expected to take two years to build and open for business in December 2019.
