600-650 Gateway is a 7.5-acre multi-tenant campus in South San Francisco.  In collaboration with Perkins&Will, the design team was tasked with the goal of re-envisioning and unifying the three existing buildings on site into a single campus.  The project focused on improved building entrances, site connectivity and wayfinding, a central outdoor gathering space, and a more climate appropriate landscape. 

The materials used throughout the site resonate with the history of the area as an old ship-, stock-, and railyard, all sitting on former tidal bay lands.  In short: “ships, steak, and steel, with an oyster chaser” became the project inspiration.  Each of the three new lobby plazas displays a unique paving pattern in black basalt abstracting these themes, complimented by a network of oyster shell pathways and weathered rail ties. The central courtyard provides flexible café seating, defined by a series of basalt benches and bands, and punctuated with kinetic art and shade trees.

Plant selection was an essential part of the design as strong prevailing winds, solar exposure, and copper-rich post-industrial soils created a challenge.  The design team ultimately created a plant community that is not only more resilient and climate friendly, but actively remediates the existing soils used on site.  Meadow grasses make up the foundation planting, with ornamental perennial drifts showcasing the microclimate zones:  gold hues dapple the sunny areas while deep purples and reds characterize the shaded zones. Stormwater run-off from the adjacent buildings is treated in a series of vegetated planters that soften and frame the parking area. Native and drought tolerant trees further enhance the site’s microclimates, creating much needed wind breaks, shaded zones, and seasonal variation.

Location: South San Francisco, CA

Status: Completed 2021

Project Type: Campus

Client: Alexandria Real Estate Equities

Collaborators: Perkins&Will Architects

Photography: Marion Brenner