Google keeps ‘unconventional’ office in Chapel Hill

In a Southern Village office that occasionally doubles as a basketball court, employees of one of the largest technology companies in the world tweak software technology used by millions.

Since 2005 Google has operated a satellite office in Chapel Hill, where about a dozen employees correct and modify software for the search engine giant.

Google is famous for its unconventional offices.

In the Googleplex headquarters in California, which opened about nine years ago, a dinosaur skeleton sits outside the office, and the interior is decorated with giant rubber balls and shade lamps.

On a smaller scale, the Chapel Hill office includes a full basketball court, a pool table and UNC basketball jerseys hanging from the ceiling.

Google moved into the office after buying Chapel Hill software startup Skia eight years ago. Since the purchase, the satellite office has been busy.

Mike Reed, a software engineer and manager of the office, said the location near Research Triangle helps broaden Google’s influence.

“They have a bunch of offices outside of California,” Reed said. “Many offices are located around a hub of education. We benefit from being close to college graduates and an airport.”

The Chapel Hill office tests graphics for different aspects of the Google system.

“A lot of what we do is used by many facets of Google. So far, a lot of the software we deal with is used on Google Chrome and Android,” Reed said.

Joe Gregorio, a software engineer for Google, has worked in the Chapel Hill location for about five years.

Gregorio said he enjoys his work, which improves the graphics and response times for Google searches.

“I knew a lot of people working for Google, and they seemed happy, so I knew it was a good place to work,” Gregorio said.

He said the office is a great place to work, and features like the basketball court make working for Google interesting.

“I have traveled around to many of the Google offices, and they are all unique and produce a great environment to work in,” Gregorio said.

And Reed said he is always interested in seeing and being involved in Google’s new technologies — like the recently unveiled Google Glass.

Google Glass is a pair of glasses that works as a virtual assistant, including functions like a search engine and camera.

Reed said though the Chapel Hill office was not directly involved in making Google Glass, he thinks the product is interesting.

“I think that it is very exciting for Google — I can’t wait to see how it goes,” Reed said.

Mac Cramer, a sophomore economics major, said he thinks that both Google’s presence in the area and the launch of Google Glass are good for Chapel Hill.

“I think that the market they attract for both business and consumption really appeals to the younger crowd,” Mac said.

Contact the desk editor at city@dailytarheel.com.