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Amazon vs Microsoft: Where Urban Energy Meets Forest Calm
12/17/2025Seattle and Redmond may only be a short drive away from each other, but their Big Tech tenants couldn’t be more different. Amazon’s headquarters feels like a futuristic city in the heart of Seattle: tall buildings, bustling streets, and the iconic Spheres that give employees an opportunity to work in a real cloud forest. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s campus in Redmond sits in a tranquil lush suburban forest, where low-rise buildings are connected by walking trails and electric shuttles. Two worlds, two philosophies, and both are shaping the future of work.
Amazon’s home is a vertical city of glass towers and bursting energy. It’s urban, vibrant, and bold, where employees take infrequent coffee breaks and pets roam freely through offices. It's a centre of innovation against the backdrop of busy streets.
At the centre of it all stand The Spheres, the Amazon’s architectural crown jewel. These impressive glass domes aren’t just for show (although it's a big part for sure). They are a place designed to spark creativity through the connection with nature. There are no typical desks or offices inside: just lush greenery, winding paths, and cozy corners where employees can eat, work, and recharge.
Inspired by biophilia, the idea that humans have an inherent love for nature. The Spheres is home to over 40,000 plants and 1,000 species, many straight from cloud forests. The building helps keep the temperature refreshingly comfortable for humans and plants. It took two and a half years to build these spheres pentagonal hexecontahedrons. You can visit them on any weekday if you have a friend working at Amazon. But if you don’t, The Spheres welcome visitors twice a month, on first and third Saturdays.
Drive or take transit east to Redmond, and the scene changes dramatically. Microsoft’s headquarters feels less like a corporate campus and more like a serene retreat.
Low-rise buildings blend into a landscape of evergreen cedars and firs. This creates an environment that prioritizes calm over show. The philosophy is clear here: innovation thrives in tranquility.
The campus sprawls on both sides of the freeway. Electric shuttles move staff and visitors between buildings, while a fleet of shuttle buses brings employees from all over the Seattle metro area.
For those who prefer to drive, free parking is plentiful, which is a big contrast to Amazon’s expensive parking spots. And for the cyclists who don’t mind the Pacific Northwest rain, Microsoft went above and beyond: bike rooms are equipped with warm showers, fresh towels, and even dryers for clothes and shoes to ensure no one spends the day soggy.
With this practical comfort lies a piece of history (very few employees surprisingly knew about it): a fragment of the Berlin Wall which Bill Gates brought to Redmond in 1990.
Which philosophy do you think drives more innovation and creativity: a bursting energy of a big city or simplicity created by nature?
Back in 2016, I visited the headquarters of Google and Facebook in San Francisco, California and wrote a similar article - Google vs. Facebook - Which One Is Better.
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