Project Spotlight – NVIDIA Headquarters

Nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, the NVIDIA headquarters is a gleaming new facet of the landscape, covering 35.6 acres with over one million square feet of LEED Gold-certified office space. The campus promotes safety and casual connections, emphasizing the human experience in a tech-driven world.

At the forefront of bringing this vision to life is Kier + Wright, a firm specializing in civil engineering, land surveying, and construction staking, playing a pivotal role in the project. Collaborating closely with NVIDIA, developer Sares Regis, and general contractor Devcon, K+W took the lead in phase management, cost and schedule efficiency, and forward-thinking planning. Actively pursuing safety, economic efficiency, stormwater resilience, and employee well-being, K+W employed innovative and interconnected strategies.

Safety at the Core

Recognizing the paramount importance of safety in a bustling tech hub, K+W tackled pedestrian and vehicular concerns with ingenuity. The firm designed two underground parking garages seamlessly connected to traffic thoroughfares while maintaining a clear separation for pedestrian areas. This strategic approach ensures a harmonious coexistence of technology and safety, showcasing engineering excellence for the public eye. Notably, life-saving enhancements to public safety involve redirecting pedestrian traffic away from the San Tomas Expressway. The separation of pedestrians from vehicles not only contributes to more efficient traffic flow on the expressway but has also garnered community awareness of these improvements. This not only underscores the project's commitment to safety but also enhances the public perception of those solving cutting-edge engineering challenges.

Resilience and Well-being

NVIDIA's campus is more than just a workspace; it's a holistic environment that prioritizes the well-being of its people. Integrating natural, healing areas, connective spaces, and 'invisible' stormwater treatment, K+W's design is a masterpiece of sustainability. By using landscaping, walls, and graded berms to mask stormwater treatment, the campus maintains the appearance of nature's topography, contributing to the overall resilience and well-being of the community.

Resource-Effective Planning

K+W’s prowess in site planning, particularly the adept design and phasing aspects in Phase 1, seamlessly set up Phase 2 and played a crucial role in minimizing waste, reducing demolition, and saving valuable time. K+W’s expertise not only contributed to environmentally-friendly practices, promoting sustainability across the campus and attaining LEED Gold certification but also led to substantial time and cost savings. The deliberate reduction of waste and demolition, coupled with the streamlined creation of the Developer's Work Drawing in collaboration with the Silicon Valley Power agency, vividly illustrates the effectiveness of K+W's resource-conscious planning.

In the heart of Silicon Valley, NVIDIA's headquarters serves as a compelling showcase of innovation, safety, and sustainability. A living testament to the company's fundamental belief that people are the key to success, the intricacies of the design resonate with this ethos in every detail. As the embodiment of NVIDIA's commitment to excellence, the campus stands tall, embodying the essence of their vision for a brighter, people-centric future.

To learn more about this project, please view the video above.