Adobe Founders Tower

The Adobe Founders Tower project is the tech software giant’s latest addition to its San Jose, California headquarters. This 18-story office tower was designed to hold up to 4,000 employees and yields 1.3 million sq ft, with 690,330 sq ft for R&D offices, 2,700 sq ft of retail, and 563,000 sq ft for on-site parking of 1,181 vehicles and 147 bicycles. Upon completion, the North Tower is connected to Adobe’s existing campus via a pedestrian skybridge extending over San Fernando Street.

Kier + Wright’s civil and survey scope for this high-rise development included grading, utility and stormwater design, and frontage improvements on the four-story below-grade basement located on West San Fernando. K+W also produced an original topographic survey, parcel map, overhead encroachment permits, and a plat and legal documents for city records. Due to the site’s condensed area, there was limited space for construction staking. K+W overcame this challenge by installing Optical Survey Prisms along the neighboring buildings. These prisms reflected the infrared beam back to its source with a wide angle of incidence and high precision, reducing beam scatter and allowing for more accurate measurements over longer ranges.

Another unique aspect of this project was the skybridge, which featured concrete pavers, wood seating areas, and plantings of native grasses. K+W provided a comprehensive utility survey to locate and help place four bridge columns within the existing Adobe loading dock without interfering with existing utilities. The survey of the skybridge presented a challenge due to its proximity to the San Jose International Airport and its surrounding flight path. K+W collaborated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to design elevations according to their height requirements, ensuring the skybridge did not impact the flight path or surrounding airport restrictions.

The Adobe Founders Tower project is spearheading the way for sustainable innovation and will play an integral part in helping Adobe’s commitment to power their operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2035.