Microsoft: Over the next three years, Microsoft will add 14 buildings and a total of 3.1 million square feet (288,000 square meters) to its corporate campus in Redmond, Wash., enough to provide office space for approximately 12,000 people. Seven of the buildings will be new construction; the other seven are existing buildings that Microsoft recently purchased.
And so another practical joke source dies…
For years on end – translation: since 1985 – some new employees have been pranked into looking for a Building 7 on the main Microsoft campus. Shortly after the new orientation, some new co-working would say “oh, you have a meeting with the Boss in Building 7” only to find out that there is no Building 7. Buildings 1-4 were the first; I’m pretty sure that 5 and 6 were started before 1-4 were even settled into. 8, 9, and 10 followed, with a courtyard and fountain. After that, the campus growth darted in different directions, but no one ever got around to naming a building “Seven”.
In Microserfs, Douglas Coupland plops Danielu and his team into Building 7. Other people are convinced that there really was a Building 7 and it was really well hidden [and used for secret meetings!] I dunno when the building will be built or what group will get in on it first, but it’s a pretty safe bet that it’ll start soon. In fact, I’m hoping they build that G7 parking garage first: parking is really bad near the original buildings…
And if you’ve ever wanted to play the Building 7 prank on a new employee hire someone quickly – I’d hate to see a new ‘softie get stuck in the mud around a construction site!
The Secret of Building 7 is This!
During the laying of the foundations for Buildings 1-4 and the laying of plans for Buildings 5-10, it was found that the ground under where Building 7 was to be was unstable enough to support anything in the way of a foundation. If you look at where Buildings 1-6 are, there is an empty space where Building 7 would have been – just south of Bldg 5 & 6 – only to find what appears to be a cleared area roughly the size of the rest of the Building plots, where trees and shrubs were planted. Plans were already under way for buildings 8-10, so it was decided just to skip Building 7.
Microsoft’s IT Staff (who used to be housed at Imperial Square up the road from the Main Campus)the people that actually take care of Microsoft Employee’s systems in their offices) used to announce on their two-way radios that they’re “Headed to Building 7” when they’re taking a break or heading off-campus for lunch.
Hence, the “mystery” of Building 7 has been dispelled forever. Don’t you all just HATE me for doing that? ;)
–ScottK
Nah – it makes me ask the obvious: why is there no 13? :D