The centerpiece of the lower campus, the Process Sciences Center, is a dedicated arena for biological development. It centralizes process science groups in one building and encompasses chromatography labs, wet and dry labs, a pilot plant, and offices for management.

Flexibility was integral to the design of the pilot plant and the laboratory wing of the building. The pilot plant is at the center of the development process and is highly automated. Flexibility and adaptability are required and accommodated in several ways: The pilot plant is equipped with SIP, CIP systems and high-purity water systems. Open operation areas have tanks interconnected through large transfer panels and an interstitial utility distribution for ease of access and modification.

Laboratory flexibility is achieved through custom-designed casework with fixed utility spines. Specially designed chromatography carts were tested in a laboratory mock-up, where users were invited to develop their laboratory designs and help develop the casework concept. The result is a non-proprietary, flexible casework system designed for the large volume of materials required in development.

Genentech has twice expanded the Process Science Center. Phase 2, a 95,000-sf addition that includes research and development labs and clinical manufacturing, was completed in 2000. Phase 3, a 165,000-sf expansion, is currently in design. Scheduled for completion in 2008, this space will include a small-scale fermentation pilot plant, process development laboratories, offices, support, and interaction space.

Phase 1 of the project received R&D Magazine’s Lab of the Year High Honors in 1996.

Project Information
Building Owner:		Genentech
Building Location:		South San Francisco, CA UNITED STATES
Project Type:		New Construction
Principal Building Function:		Biotechnology development facility.
Project Delivery Method:		General Contractor
Project Timeline		Jun 1992 Planning Start Sep 1992 Design Start Sep 1993 Construction Start Feb 2000 Completion Last known status: Completed
Construction Cost:		$150,200,000
Cost Per Sq. Ft:		$315
		About These Cost Figures
Building Information
Project Includes:		Atrium Biotechnology Interdisciplinary Research Pharmacology Pilot Plant
Total GSF:		430,000
Building Services:		Fixed utility spine, chromatography equipment, dedicated cold rooms equipped with glycol loop for continuous refirgeration
Project Team
Architect		Flad Architects
Engineer		Affiliated Engineers Inc. (AEI)
Profile Created 02/02/2007
Last Updated 10/12/2007
About the Reported Cost Figures The cost figures reported are supplied by the firms that submitted these projects for publication, which in most cases are the designers or builders. Whereas these sources are intimately familiar with their projects, they may not be fully aware of the owners' finally-realized and recorded costs. In some cases, costs are truly and completely accounted for, and in others they represent a near approximation of the final costs. Costs have not been adjusted for year of construction, nor has any attempt been made to make regional cost adjustments. Further, costs are not comparable on any kind of detailed standard costing model. Hence, it is possible for the cost of one building to include a steam boiler, while the cost of a comparable building might not include the boiler, if steam is being supplied from an already existing campus grid. Or, in another case, a building might include excess boiler capacity to supply steam to another building. Some submittals include fees or unusual site improvements as part of the construction costs, which others do not.