Google announced arguably its most serious attempt at hardware this week when it said it will be ditching Qualcomm chips and creating its own, including those used for its flagship Pixel phone. From a report: It also has been using its own chips for its growing number of data centers across the country. In January, it completed the acquisition of fitness tracking hardware company Fitbit, which had been held up in regulatory review for more than a year. One building in particular is getting a major overhaul. 20% of that building is designated for office space and 80% for manufacturing, storage, distribution, and other purposes, according to plans. The company has been planning the site since at least 2018, according to documents. “New interior space will be used for device warehouse, distribution and supporting office functions,” the plans state. Plans show the space can hold up to 169 people but a Google spokesperson declined to specify how many employees it will house.
One planning document describes dressing the interior in ocean-themed items, including with art installations, murals, drift wood accents, seashell statement pieces from Etsy and a surfboard suspending on ceilings of meeting and training rooms, plans show. Meeting rooms are named after seaside areas in and around Monterey, Calif., including Cannery Row, Pacific Grove, Fisherman’s Wharf and Del Monte. Other proposed modifications to the site include parking lot reconfigurations, new equipment pads, rooftop equipment enclosures, ADA upgrades, and updates to the faces of the buildings.
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