By David Li, bostonese.com
Cupertino, Calif, May 2, 2014, — According to a video released recently, the site of Apple’s new headquarters will be 80% green space with its own native trees. The designers’ goal was to create a building with no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The following picture was from a June 2011 meeting when Steve Jobs answered questions about the proposed new Apple headquarters.
During the meeting, Jobs unveiled plans for Apple’s new headquarters. Barry Chang, Cupertino City Councilman, asked Jobs about air quality. The video below shows the exchange between Chang and Jobs.
“I know you care about the air quality,” Chang says. “I understand that you don’t allow any employees smoke inside building, right?”
Jobs confirms Chang’s question and adds: “Both my parents died of lung cancer from smoking so I’m a little sensitive on that topic.” As usual, Jobs sounded cool and collected.
Chang then asks Jobs if he is familiar with the Lehigh Southwest Cement Plant nearby that “is polluting the air.”
“I grew up about five blocks away from that, about six blocks away, so I’m pretty familiar with the Kaiser plant,” Jobs says. “And yeah I think it would be great if the Kaiser plant wasn’t there, but, you know, they bought the land fair and square, so they’re probably not going anywhere. （Pause） But if you kicked Kaiser out, I wouldn’t cry.”
This is probably one of the last few public hearings that Jobs had attended. Jobs resigned from Apple two months later, and passed away on Oct. 5, 2011. Chang is among the very few politicians who had the opportunity to question this silicon valley legend in the last year of his life.
According to media reports, every aspect of the spaceship-like structure’s facade will be made from hand-crafted materials, with solar panels affixed in various places. This is certainly a design that Jobs could be proud of.
Barry Chang is currently running for California State Assembly, District 28. His campaign website is www.barry4ca.com. The deadline for register to vote in the June 3 California primaries is May 19.