Situated in the biotechnology hub of the Bay Area, AstraZeneca’s South San Francisco Site’s forward-thinking, LEED Platinum-certified workplace and laboratories are designed to spur scientific discovery. The project consolidates multiple business units under a single location, seamlessly integrating laboratory, office, and manufacturing spaces into a dynamic life sciences center that can rapidly respond to health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Embracing “Science on Display” as the overarching theme, the workplace challenges laboratory design conventions, maximizing transparency and promoting activity-based work. The ample use of glass throughout the interior improves the quality of workspaces through enhanced visual connectivity, daylighting, and openness. Furthermore, teaming spaces and plug-and-play arrangements within the laboratories encourage interaction between scientists, giving them the flexibility to adopt new equipment and processes.
To create a sense of community among distinct business units, the four-story workplace is designed as a vertical campus. A large central gathering space on each floor serves as a hub for all personnel, while shared amenities and alternative zones between work areas were created to promote collaboration. Similarly, a multipurpose conferencing and work/lounge area on the first level enables joint activities between organizations.
The workplace conveys AstraZeneca’s values while being grounded in its local, Silicon Valley tech culture through regionally inspired design elements, natural materials, and an eclectic mix of traditionalist and space-age furnishings. Features and finishes more often found in hospitality environments were used throughout the facility, resulting in a workplace with a tech start-up/coffeehouse feel. Graphic details of the Bay Area’s natural features establish the workplace’s regional identity and enhance occupant wellbeing.
Through the optimization of space and the integration of technology, branding, and hospitality, AstraZeneca’s research and manufacturing hub serves as one of the firm’s most progressive workplaces, enabling the firm to attract and retain the finest talent in the Bay Area.
Photography: David Wakely
AstraZeneca South San Francisco Site
Category
Heal
Description
Location: South San Francisco, CA, USA
Design Team: HOK
Timothy O’Connell, HOK, Principal
Daniel Herriott, HOK, Interior Designer
Lauren Lair, HOK, Interior Designer
Wayne Nickles, HOK, Project Manager
James Addison, HOK, Job Captain
Thomas Kaczkowski, HOK, Lighting Designer
Emily Fowlkes, HOK, Lab Planner
Jim Doussard, HOK, Branding + Graphic Design
Erin Ezell, HOK, Sustainable Design Specialist