Google has completed a US$ 1.6 billion deal to build a new UK headquarters on 10 thousand square meters of disused land behind King's Cross Station, underlining the global technology industry's commitment to London, reported The Financial Times. The internet search group confirmed that it would start building a new 11 storey office block on the site, which it would use to consolidate operations from its existing offices in London. The land was acquired from the Kings Cross Central Partnership. As reported Reuters Google was investing US$ 1 million to buy and develop the site. The office building will be worth up to US$ 1.6 when it is finished in 2016. The deal, one of the most valuable property transactions in the UK since the start of the financial crisis, follows a string of high-profile moves by technology groups, including Skype, Oracle and Amazon, to take up office space in the UK capital. Matt Brittin, vice-president for northern and central Europe at Google, said: "This is a big investment by Google, we're committing further to the UK - where computing and the web were invented. It's good news for Google, for London and for the UK." Google's London staff are currently split between two offices in Victoria and one in Holborn. The move will allow the company to house all London staff under one roof. The company plans to keep its office in Manchester. Google also operates Campus, a seven-storey centre in Shoreditch that offers work spaces to technology and media start-ups as part of London's Tech City project. Google has traditionally leased its overseas offices but in the past two years has purchased premises in Paris, Dublin, and now London, its filings show.

Recently, the tech giant Facebook announced its decision to relocate its company headquarters from Palo Alto to Menlo Park, California - a move which could spur over US$ 366 million in construction spending for the region, reported constructiondigital. According to a report by research firm Brion & Associates, the US$ 250 million budgeted building project could result in an additional US$ 116 million in additional construction activity over a period of 3-4 years, and may bring up to 2,5 thousand jobs to the area. The move comes as Facebook prepares for an IPO (Initial public offering) aimed at raising up to US$ 10 billion in revenue for the social networking leader, which would bring its overall company value to over US$ 100 billion. The new headquarters would house up to 9,5 thousand employees in anticipation of coming expansions, and some predict the firm would bring almost US$ 30 million in annual spending to the region's lodging and retail markets. Facebook is planning similar expansions of its satellite facilities in New York and elsewhere as part of the lead up to the public offering - yet another way social networking is helping prop up the struggling construction industry.

In this spring Skype located its North American headquarter in Silicon Valley - Palo Alto (California, USA). Skype occupy more than 5000 square meters of office and technical facilities space that is designed to support 250 employees. Skype headquarter design was made by American Blitz architecture and interior design studio. To understand Skype's culture, Blitz professionals undertook extensive user-group surveying and researched workspace typology and environmental influences on the thinking process in order to fully reflect the concept and policy of the company. Creative Interior made by architects reflects a "free spirit" of Skype, and a thoroughly planning, used techniques, creative decor and furnishings accessories, such as "skype-its" mobile white boards help feel that spirit. In order to more clearly emphasize that "free spirit", Blitz professionals made the design of technical facilities in loft style, and for the effective relaxation, close to the work and meeting spaces there are numerous "rest islands" where you can eat, drink coffee and play board games. Skype was founded in 2003 by the Swedish entrepreneur Niklas Zennstrom and Dane Janus Friis. The Skype software was developed by Estonian developers Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu and Jaan Tallinn.

It seems that eco-towns will soon become the most sought developments in new town planning. Computer giant Apple Inc., which became the most valuable technology company in the world in 2010, purchased land in the small town of Cupertino that claims to be the "heart" of Silicon Valley, as many technology companies were founded here and in the surrounding areas. Apple needed an additional land for expansion of current headquarter premises in Cupertino and bought 40 acre area from HP last month for about $300M to build "green" Apple City. Apple's new headquarters will include a network of tunnels that joins the buildings together while maintaining green surface, and the most important- project will feature a strong focus on creating a sustainable environment, and much of the development's infrastructure will be built around renewable energy. The project will be implemented by the leading British architectural bureau Foster+Partners. Lord Norman Foster is one of the most famous contemporary architects. He is the author of "cucumber" skyscraper and the Millennium Bridge in London, Hearst Tower in New York, renovation of Reichstag dome in Berlin and many other projects. In Russia Foster is known as the author of the redevelopment projects of hotel complex "Russia", the Pushkin Museum, the transformation of the complex "New Holland" in St. Petersburg into cultural and entertainment facilities. Foster is the recipient of hundreds of international prizes and awards. Apple City will be similar to another outstanding project of Foster - Masdar city, the construction of which started in 2008 in Abu Dhabi, UAE and will cost about $ 22 billion. Masdar, currently is the biggest eco-town project in the World.