Hauwei R+D Campus Cafeteria + Commons

After two arduous international design competitions, Huawei selected CH2MHILL, in collaboration with Life Architecture + Planning, to lead the design of their newest 15,000 employee ‘software factory’ in Xi’an, China. The then emerging (now largest) mobile phone manufacturer in the world, and China tech-giant, along with the design team envisioned an R&D campus on the outskirts of Xi’an that would foster innovation with collaborative “H”-form office clusters, lushly landscaped outdoor garden spaces, and an iconic central commons/cafeteria building that would unit the campus’ workers at least once a day.

The central commons/cafeteria building, now predominantly referred to as Restaurant V7 on-site, is a landmark of architectural significance on the campus, but it is also a triumph of unique and behind-the-scenes mobility logistics that photography can’t quite capture.

Every day, the 15,000-person campus breaks for four 30-minute lunch break shifts, equating to a cafeteria environment that needs to collect, serve, dine and exit 3,250 employees with ease in a half hour timeslot.

Logistics include the front-end experience that the employees engage in, as well as the back-of-house support services which include food preparation, vendors, recycling, garbage and deliveries, which all take place in V7’s underground building/garage/loading/parking infrastructure network.