A new kind of biotech campus

Genesis Marina sits between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, a region that is home to the world’s largest cluster of biotech companies. Created to meet growing demand in this sector and to connect the Bay Area’s scientific community, it is innovative in its approach as a multi-tenant campus. Purpose-built with robust infrastructures and systems, flexible laboratory designs, and a range of support services, it will become a place for established and emerging companies to grow.

With three life-science buildings overlooking the San Francisco Bay, Genesis Marina provides approximately 500,000 square feet of laboratory, office, restaurant, and commercial recreation spaces. An innovative, modular design allows tenants to tailor their spaces by selecting equipment and components to support their research.

Designed and built with a holistic view toward environmental impact, the project was awarded the world’s first Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE) Construction Gold certification, which recognizes projects that conserve resources through waste reduction and a circular economy approach.

Designed to connect people with nature

Every aspect of the campus fosters a sense of connection with the magnificent natural surroundings. Perched on Sierra Point and prominently in view from Highway 101, the complex marks the entrance into the South Bay Peninsula and Silicon Valley. Expansive, open floor plates offer its users framed waterfront views out to the bay, along with balconies and terraces to enjoy them outdoors. The three buildings are oriented to shield outdoor and courtyard spaces from gusty coastal winds.

The facade design features a fine ceramic frit, which provides solar control and helps with shading. It also creates a dynamic impression: the building appears opaque from an oblique angle and transparent from a frontal view. Natural light is filtered through the vertical, striated frit pattern that intensifies in varying densities along the tall glass panels. The edges of the waterfront-facing facades are pulled forward to protect balconies from weather and wind.

Building community

With a focus on shared amenities and access to nature, Genesis Marina invites both tenants and the broader community into its public spaces. Framing the bay vista, the buildings are organized around a central, elevated courtyard and a series of cascading steps offering multiple social spaces throughout the campus to gather and contemplate. Green spaces and a public art program offer a reprieve from the intense research and related work taking place inside the lab and office spaces. A dedicated conference center, equipped with executive board rooms and conference rooms, is available to tenants.

Amenities open to the community include a cafe, a casual dining restaurant, and a state-of-the-art fitness center which opens directly onto the bayfront. SOM’s interior design team crafted these spaces as inviting venues that provide opportunities for colleagues to gather throughout the workday. The restaurant is a social hub for the campus, and its design creates a lively and energetic atmosphere. Bar seating and low-top tables provide varied settings for drinks and dining, while a boldly patterned graphic wall enclosing the back-of-house offers glimpses into the kitchen. 

Significantly, the project expands and enhances portions of the San Francisco Bay Trail, a walking and cycling path that spans more than 500 miles along the water. Genesis Marina adds a quarter mile of trail to this public pathway, while the design and landscape strategy includes measures to increase resilience to sea level rise. From the top of the campus, a series of cascading steps and grassy terraces provide direct connections to the trail and waterfront views.