For the Pacific Center Campus Development (PCCD) project, the team transformed a vehicle-oriented, suburban corporate campus into a pedestrian-oriented, human-centered environment for a major Fortune 500 technology company.

The project includes two structures: a 357,000-sq-ft research and development building and a 50,000-sq-ft services building that complement each other in form and programmatic elements. The R&D building has a straightforward approach and was designed without a lobby, while the services building was equipped with social spaces, such as a cafeteria, theater, gathering areas and a green roof.

To achieve PCCD’s sustainability goals, the design team utilized a custom sunshade profile, developed for a project in Des Moines, to help control heat gain and glare. However, the team found that the previous iteration of the shades was not suitable for San Diego’s milder climate. This led to the creation of a profile and layout for the sunshades that used less material and that better suited the local climate and orientation of the site, thus reducing cost while also enhancing comfort.

The innovative and sustainable design ideas used on this project have given the owners space to grow their own food on site and serve it in the cafeteria. The vegetable and herb garden is interwoven with outdoor dining areas and a green roof, which seamlessly flows into the surrounding landscape. This relationship to nature in design spills into nearby running and biking trails, which are pulled into the campus for employee use.

The project has also resulted in the campus now possessing one of the largest naturally ventilated buildings in California, with operable windows and an east-west orientation to bring in natural breezes.

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