It may surprise some to learn that Google had yet to create its own headquarters from scratch; before now, all Google office buildings were transformed from preexisting buildings. Part of a pair, Gradient Canopy has been serving as “Google’s first bespoke office building” since it opened its doors in 2023. Onlookers are first captured by the building’s unique façade. The unusual “Dragonscale” roof is a complex canopy of multitiered photovoltaic panels that produce the perfect levels of daylight inside the building—while the excess energy is converted into power—and collect rainwater for reuse as bottled water. Considered the largest geothermal pile system in North America, the overall design eliminates the use of natural gas for heating purposes, which saves large amounts of water.

The building contains two levels. The bottom level includes the market and meeting spaces. The top level is where creativity unfolds; reserved for desk space, this level is quieter and allows workers to focus on the immediate team. Miyamoto performed extensive work on the second level. With a skeleton of steel, the floor is composed of a series of undulating platforms with concrete and cross laminated timber (CLT) framing. Gradient Canopy is on track to achieve LEED-NC v4 Platinum certification and be one of the largest facilities ever to attain the International Living Future Institute’s Living Building Challenge Materials Petal Certification.