Confidential Amenity Building

Overview

Opportunity

Solution

Impact

Team

This all-electric, net-zero-energy, mass timber amenity building is designed to bring people together in the heart of South San Francisco’s life sciences community.

Location

South San Francisco, California

Client

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

Expertise

Climate Action & Sustainability Sciences Office Developers

Opportunity

The client envisioned a shared space for collaboration and social connection that demonstrated innovative, sustainable design and construction while reflecting their commitment to building responsibly.

Located in an important biotech cluster of the Bay Area, a life sciences campus sought a welcoming and social environment that could be enjoyed by its actively growing surrounding community. This open-to-the-public destination needed to be rooted in occupant well-being and access, with sustainability as the driving factor behind the building’s conceptualization and design. It had to push beyond conventional standards, optimizing performance and minimizing the carbon footprint without sacrificing user experience or aesthetic goals.

Why This Matters

01
A Shared Campus Anchor
The building creates a centralized amenity for events, clients, employees, and surrounding biotech companies, supporting connection within a region of growth.
02
A Responsible Building Model
The project was conceived as a symbol of the client’s commitment to building responsibly, with environmental design and construction practices shaping the work.
03
Walkable and Accessible
Replacing a surface parking lot with shared public space created a more walkable corporate campus, reducing vehicle dependency, while the single-level design promotes inclusivity.

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Solution

Gensler’s response was to craft a building grounded in carbon and energy neutrality, allowing those values to define the architecture and user experience.

The project was built using mass timber construction, leveraging the exposed wood structure as the defining architectural element and educational opportunity for environmentally responsible development. Meeting net-zero-energy targets, the all-electric building generates its entire energy demand with on-site renewable sources and minimizes embodied and operational carbon through its structure and high-performance building systems. It hosts a café and dining space, conference center, fitness facility, and private offices, providing opportunities for guests to connect to each other and to their surroundings.

From brief to build: how an all-electric, net-zero-energy, mass timber amenity building comes to life.

The building was conceptualized to serve as a model of environmental construction and operation as much as a shared space, minimizing its impact on the climate and natural resources through a targeted approach to decarbonization. The design also examined community needs. With few convenient places to dine and socialize nearby, the area relies heavily on vehicles, even for everyday activities like going out to lunch. Through reimagining an existing surface parking lot, this building would bring a much-needed service to the area and maximize pedestrian access.

Impact

This amenity building establishes a new campus anchor, delivering an environment that expertly unites performance, aesthetics, and function.

A vibrant, striking hub powered entirely by on-site renewable energy, the building proves that sustainability and user experience can go hand in hand.

What Changed Because of This

01
Curated Connections
A café, lounge, meeting center, fitness facility, and private offices create a hospitality-oriented destination that elevates the user experience.
02
Sustainable Operations
The client can now provide an all-electric amenity for the community and surrounding businesses with 100% of its energy needs met by onsite renewable resources.
03
Inclusive Access
The project’s proximity to public transit reduces vehicle dependency, while its single-level design enhances accessibility.

Recognition

01

AIA California

The project received a 2023 Climate Action Award, recognized as a “thoughtfully considered, well-balanced, cleanly detailed contribution to the neighborhood.”

02

WoodWorks

The project received a “Beauty of Wood” honor in WoodWorks’ Design Awards, highlighting its mass timber structure and shared amenity program.

Team

Project Leadership

[FPO] Mark Fairman

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[FPO] Stephanie Chavez

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FAQ

01

Where is the project located?

The confidential amenity building is located in a key life science community in South San Francisco, California.

02

What amenities does the project feature?

The building includes a café, dining space, lounge, meeting center, fitness facility, and private offices.

03

What makes the project sustainable?

It’s all-electric and net-zero-energy with on-site renewable resources, minimizing embodied and operational carbon through mass timber and high-performance systems.

04

How does the project connect to its surroundings?

With a single-level design and proximity to transit, the building is approachable and conveniently located. Its highly visible public-facing frontage makes it easily identifiable while encouraging pedestrian access.

Related Work

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The state’s largest mass timber office building enhances the workplace experience while reducing environmental impact and strengthening connections to nature.

Related Expertise

Climate Action & Sustainability Sciences Office Developers

This all-electric, net-zero-energy, mass timber amenity building is designed to bring people together in the heart of South San Francisco’s life sciences community.

The client envisioned a shared space for collaboration and social connection that demonstrated innovative, sustainable design and construction while reflecting their commitment to building responsibly.

Why This Matters

Gensler’s response was to craft a building grounded in carbon and energy neutrality, allowing those values to define the architecture and user experience.

From brief to build: how an all-electric, net-zero-energy, mass timber amenity building comes to life.

This amenity building establishes a new campus anchor, delivering an environment that expertly unites performance, aesthetics, and function.

What Changed Because of This