The Cove

Putting the tech in biotech

Building out the birthplace of biotech

With an eye towards the booming South San Francisco life science cluster, Healthpeak saw and seized an opportunity to develop a new life science campus at the intersection of Highway 101 and Oyster Point Boulevard. We worked with Healthpeak to reclaim and transform a vacant industrial site into the largest speculative biotech development in South San Francisco in over a decade. As a result, the Cove not only provides much-needed space for both established and growing life science companies but also is the first campus of its kind to introduce amenities previously only enjoyed by tech companies and their employees, redefining amenities for biotech.

Greenspace meets bayfront

We oriented the campus’ seven buildings around a 6-acre central greenspace that prioritizes visual connectivity to the Bay. Lush and open, the central space is made for gathering and activity, from bocce or basketball to outdoor all-hands meetings. Rich, warm stone paired with clear and transparent glazing highlight the entries of each building, providing scale and a pedestrian-friendly feel. On the site perimeter, intentionally clustering the lab and office buildings creates a self-contained environment that promotes interaction and casual collaboration between scientists and workers.

No space left behind

The rooftop garden between two buildings on top of the parking podium brought life to an underutilized space by creating a green retreat for outdoor meeting areas, spilling back down into the central greenspace spine of the campus.

From spec to secured

Healthpeak’s leap of faith was rewarded, with many of the spaces securing tenants before final build out. Both best-in-class amenities and flexible floor plates, which brought the ability to design lab space and open-seating arrangements (essential for fast-growing companies) were vital to attracting tenants and their workforce. The campus adds 55,000-sf of publicly accessible retail—the first and only of its kind in the Oyster Point neighborhood—including the acclaimed Foundry & Lux cafe and lounge. The success and popularity of integrated amenities at The Cove influenced reworking the campus plan at another nearby Healthpeak project, The Shore, to add outdoor amenities and a cafe.

The campus adds 55,000-sf of publicly accessible retail—the first and only of its kind in the Oyster Point neighborhood—including the acclaimed Foundry & Lux cafe and lounge.

Business as usual

During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Cove’s tenants have remained operational as essential businesses developing innovative medicines and potential treatments for the coronavirus. It is 100% leased by 12 life science companies, including established players like AstraZeneca and start-ups like Denali Therapeutics.

The Cove has received much acclaim for setting a new bar for what life science developments will be going forward. DES was extremely forward-thinking with respect to not only building design but also in creating a cohesive, amenity-rich, tenant-forward campus the likes of which had not been seen before in the life science industry.”

Scott Bohn, Chief Development Officer and Co-Head of Life Science, Healthpeak