Western Digital Campus Walkway Canopy

Structure Type: Covered walkway
Project Scope:
Project Size: 4,700 sqft
Material: PTFE
Location: Fremont, CA
Completion Date: 2016
Market Segment: Functional & Commercial Buildings
Owner: Western Digital Technologies
General Contractor: XL Construction
Architect: Peter Vatkov
Engineer:

Photo credits: Gary Taylor

The Western Digital Campus in Fremont, CA, features a uniquely angular tension fabric structure walkway canopy designed by Bay Area architect Peter Vatkov and built by Enclos Tensile Structures. The walkway canopy stretches over 4,700 sq. ft and provides shelter to gatherers along the campus’ main spine.

“The Fremont facility of Western Digital, a leading hardware manufacturer, consists of two major buildings. The intense pedestrian traffic generated between the buildings illustrates the dynamics of the various organizational, technological, and social forces dominating life on campus. People, carts, and vehicular traffic obey the pattern of the invisible but powerful magnetic field created between the buildings. In this field, as in particle collider, 1000 employees clash with each other each day, exchanging intellectual and emotional energy. Whether it is busy walking while mentally organizing the next project, talking with colleagues, relaxing alone or with friends, having a snack, waiting for the boss, checking the latest on the Net, getting some fresh air between two tasks, noticing the hills and the sky – the chances are it will happen on this main campus spine.”

I enjoyed our collaboration at every moment of the process. I prize their encouragement to dare and try unexplored ways in design and construction. I value highly, your team, that became a guarantee for overcoming the design, structural, and technological challenges from the initial sketches to the built structure. Our work is materialized now in the concrete, steel, and fabric of the walkway and the canopy. Both employees and management enjoy the new walkway and are very happy with the result.

I would sincerely recommend FabriTec Structures to anyone in need of professionally built, challenging, artistic, and customized to the customer’s needs tensile structure, designed in a closely collaborative environment.

Peter Vatkov
Architect

2016 Outstanding Achievement
Hybrid Tension Structures
IFIA International Achievement Awards
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