Take-out from ©
When I watched THIS release video From apple a while ago, I couldn’t help but notice the futuristic makeup of the background in the first moderated scene of the clip
Situated next to — presumingly apple — trees and a photoshopped-looking lawn, the shot gives a glimpse of the environment in which the building is situated.
Yet, it only depicts a tiny part of what actually is an immense circular office complex within the so-called “Apple Park” in Cupertino, California.
This image was taken from FOCUS online (©)
Everyone who’s interested in an entire virtual tour of the thing, I refer to this video,
but those who are more into in the architecture side of it, look here
(yes, of course this architectural masterpiece was designed by the glorious
Foster + Partners).
Anyone who might be more keen on getting to know more about the health benefits of the Park, well, follow me.
I will start by listing some facts which make the headquarter of the tech-giant at least appear to be a “healthy” environment for the people who work there:
It has an at least 3.2 km long running track (Foster + Partner even mention that it’s over 6 km long, but that might as well just count in the outer side of the building too)
Apparently, they planted 9000 trees and an orchard in- and off-side the loopy office which is why there’s fresh air and fruit everywhere
The glass facade of the office structure has been surrounded by oak trees to prevent workers from inquisitive glances from visitors and thus secures privacy ( = mental health)
Rumor has it, there’s 1000 bikes to “commute” and a 2-floor yoga studio. In any case, what can be said for sure is that there’s several courts for work-outs inside the structure and a gym close by where „expansive glazing opens light-filled exercise and treatment rooms onto the parkland. Between its two volumes, a juice bar serves healthy drinks and snacks around a courtyard shaded by olive trees.“ (https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/apple-park)
And speaking of food, apparently not even pizza becomes soggy at Apple Park)
Plenty of terraces, meadows and a pond, as well as the “Steve Jobs Theater” and a restaurant with 15 m high walls provide space for cultural and social engagement
And, to ensure even the most environmentally friendly people at Apple can sleep well at night, all the energy used within the Park is 100% renewable
Another image of the Apple Park structure and its surroundings, taken from Foster + Partner’s (©)
Seeing all this made we wonder, if Dave Egger’s 2014 book “The Circle” was inspired by this utopian endeavor which opened three years later in 2017 after some preparation time.
However the truth may be, it seems as if I am not the only one to make that observation, as an article by Alissa Walker shows that those fortunate 12000 people who work in Apple Park even call the building “The Ring”.
But, having now almost completed my Master’s degree in Work and Organisational Psychology, I wonder; Do all these features really improve the well-being of people at their work place?
Starting from the time you are willing to spend at an enclosed space with strangers peeking in from the outside (even if you cannot see them), to the readiness to enjoy a delicate pizza in a beautifully curated environment — when the next Iphone release is just around the corner (which, as it seems, is always the case), how much do the 5.000.000.000 $ spent by Apple to build that working environment fantasy made up by the one and only, Steve Jobs, really pay off?
To answer these questions, let us take a look at Steve Jobs vision of work-life-balance and the ways in which we might all presumably work now and in the future.
What future (virtual) workplaces could look like (©)
Especially now that almost everyone seems to be using ChatGPT to get through their day (The original version of this article was published in September 2024, before AI really hit the fan), it is clear that Artificial Intelligence will disrupt the reality of work big time for all of us.
But there's more to work (place) design: Whether it’s meetings conducted with VR-glasses, cutting hours to spend more time with our loved-ones or providing everyone with the least amount of money that is necessary to look out for ourselves and our kids – Recent implementations and proposals for change show that work can, and has to be done differently. Furthermore, sticking to old ways of work place design might in many cases simply not make sense, as no one is coming to the office anymore anyways (As was seen for quite some time with “Employee Ghosting“, even though in 2024, this is already shifting again due to Company legislations).
But while Steve Jobs through Apple Park potentially showed that it might be possible to create a space, which is technically “perfect” in regard to design and outer working conditions –
The questions remains whether employees do not actually need more than that to improve the quality of their work.
And while with the New Work Targets (and a master thesis in this field), I aim to find out how exactly this can be determined and proved, some research conducted in this field draws to the notion that it is what's most often referred to as the “culture“ of organizations
that in the end determines their success.
For some of these sources see
While others emphasize the need for well-conducted communication and transparency, as well as a corporate identity and mission which can easily be grasped by employees and their customers as well.
On the other hand, some will tell you, that it is clear boundaries, structure, reasonably salaries and an amount of vacation days which are vital for organizing a company, and should be applied before anything else can even be thought of
This is also due to Theodor Herzberg's theory on Hygiene and Motivation factors at work...
But however phrased and personally preferred – looking at the following model to explain the occurrence of stress
– in the end it's up to the individual and its personal resources how someone evaluates a certain situation and thus determines whether it's stressful or not.
Because according to Lazarus here, it is the individual appraisal of a situation which can result in stress. But this appraisal is as dependent of the social interactions throughout our lives as is the ability to change something about it.
So, when stress and personal issues arise, we can talk about psychological safety and/or non-violent communication, or any other of the buzzwordy notions our seemingly attentive and super-aware culture sometimes produces, as much as we like,
it is also about what we ourselves consider important to make us feel seen, understood and protected – And thus somehow home,
even when we are at work.
And feeling home is probably what we all seek.
If you feel different about this or want to talk about any of the issues this article has touched upon, feel free to visit the next New Work Targets Seminar.
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