Terraces with Purpose at Pacific Center

In San Diego’s fast-growing life-science hub in the Sorrento Mesa area, Pacific Center transforms terraces and courtyards into a series of outdoor “rooms” designed for meetings, work, and pauses between science breakthroughs.The campus has been thoughtfully planned to reduce environmental impact while fostering a healthier, more productive setting for its occupants.

Gensler drew inspiration from the surrounding sloped landscape and specified Kitsap Aluminum Modular Planter Walls, powder-coated in Cedar Bronze, to shape and define the spaces. Anchored directly to a few of the Kitsap walls, custom cantilevered wooden benches arranged in a piano-key pattern design, invite people to gather and recharge.

One of the project’s design challenges involved bridging a steep slope between buildings. The Gensler team solved this by creating an elevated Kitsap wall that escalates through the center of an outdoor staircase, using the system’s flexible kit-of-parts, and a series of elegant custom arcs and connections. Our Engineering and Project Management teams collaborated closely with Gensler to ensure the final solution aligned with their design vision.

Spurlock Landscape Architects layered plantings throughout, extending greenery from the street level to the upper terraces so the campus feels vibrant and connected at every turn. The result is placemaking with purpose, on a campus that feels calm, collaborative, and sustainable.

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