The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse is a shared amenity space for a community of biotech companies in South San Francisco, with every detail designed at the forefront of sustainability.

Targeting net zero energy, all energy demands of the building are generated with on-site renewable resources, powering 22,000 square feet of space that includes a café, dining space, lounge, meeting center, fitness facility, and private offices.

The project’s embodied and operational carbon is minimized with high-performing structural and building systems. The mass timber structure promotes natural daylight with skylights and dynamic glazing, and a 20-foot, double-cantilevered overhang provides shading and protection from the natural elements, creating a space that blurs the line between indoors and outdoors. Supported by an intricate and elegant glulam framing system, the cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels are integrated into the design and serve as a finish.

In 2023, AIA California recognized Gensler’s design of The Lighthouse as a winner of the AIA California Design Awards in the Climate Action category. The jurors noted, “This elegantly unassuming building makes the most of its opportunity to provide a community amenity and to do it sustainably... with the outcome of a thoughtfully considered, well-balanced, cleanly detailed contribution to the neighborhood.”