Featured Image: “AstraZeneca West Coast Center atrium” by HOK, image/information source: HOK
The AstraZeneca Lab and Office Facility in San Francisco, designed by HOK, exemplifies high-performance biophilic workplace design, achieving LEED-CI Platinum certification through integrated nature-inspired systems.
Design Innovation
HOK’s 2010s project features a central atrium with cascading greenwalls and sky gardens mimicking forest canopies, fostering natural airflow and daylight penetration across six floors. Adaptive facades with automated louvers, inspired by flower heliotropism, optimize solar control, while modular lab spaces use flexible BIM-modeled partitions for reconfiguration. Exposed structural timber and recycled steel reduce embodied carbon, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor lab environment.
Sustainability Features
Passive ventilation and chilled beams cut HVAC energy by 40%, supplemented by solar PV panels and rainwater harvesting for landscape irrigation. Biophilic elements like living walls improve air quality and occupant wellbeing, with sensor-driven controls achieving 50% water savings. The facility sequesters CO2 via native plantings and low-VOC materials, targeting net-zero operations.
Impact and Legacy
Certified LEED-CI Platinum in 2017, it set benchmarks for corporate R&D campuses, influencing tech HQs with wellness-focused metrics. Its success in urban density aligns with your sustainable architecture pursuits, offering Revit-applicable strategies for EU lab retrofits.[mero]
