The building massing serves as a threshold between the Stanford Medicine academic and clinical campus in Palo Alto and the adjacent arboretum.
Three narrow, interconnected office wings rise above a central courtyard. The U-shaped building provides views to nature from all vantage points.
The building is designed around a landscaped courtyard planted with native species.
Publicly accessible through an open-air breezeway along Quarry Road, it connects to the arboretum’s trails.
Walkways overlooking the courtyard provide outdoor access from office wings. Bridges traverse the courtyard edges.
The building feels open and welcoming, with many public areas easily accessible from the central courtyard. Access to office areas is controlled and secure.
The large entry plaza and courtyard are designed for communal uses on the ground floor: a restaurant-style café, conference room and fitness center.
New pathways at the ground plane connect to public art and landscape features.
The design takes advantage of Northern California’s mild climate by moving 20 percent of the program beyond the building’s walls. People can socialize and work in a diverse mix of outdoor spaces.
Porches, balconies, sky bridges and covered walkways extend from the building. Upper terraces create the sensation of being in the trees. These spaces experience breezes and shade in the summer and calmness and direct sunlight in the winter.
The design minimizes the Center’s impact on the environment. The slender wings and mixed structural column grid reduce the building’s footprint and materials.
A passive-first design approach takes full advantage of the site. The sun, wind and ecosystem influenced everything from the initial planning decisions to the building details.
The curtain wall—with ceramic frit patterns and three-story metal louvres on the west facade—minimizes glare while optimizing indoor thermal comfort and daylight.
The team created biophilic design guidelines.
The coast live oak tree inspired the design of the Center, which, like the tree, houses multiple environments within a single space. This native Californian tree forms an ideal environment for life. Its foliage blocks direct sun while allowing filtered light and breezes to pass through, creating a microhabitat of cool air under its canopy. Its structure reinforces the layering effect, creating a sense of space and movement.
The building wings are intentionally narrow, with no workspaces more than 30 feet from a window. This gives all occupants access to natural light and views of the neighboring arboretum and School of Medicine.
The entrance lobby and large interior gathering spaces are in the southwest corner, illuminated by natural light.
Organized as a collection of neighborhoods, the Center’s primary collaboration zones occur at the corners and ends of the wings. ‘Refuel stations’ adjacent to outdoor terraces provide alternative workspaces and areas for respite.
The Center is accessible via the university’s free, electrified public transportation system, as well as the bike paths and walking trails that run through the arboretum. On-site bike parking is available.
An underground garage eliminates the need for the surface parking that is prevalent in many California office developments.
The Center is conveniently located near the Stanford Shopping Center and several restaurants across the street.
The building massing serves as a threshold between the Stanford Medicine academic and clinical campus in Palo Alto and the adjacent arboretum.
Three narrow, interconnected office wings rise above a central courtyard. The U-shaped building provides views to nature from all vantage points.
The building is designed around a landscaped courtyard planted with native species.
Publicly accessible through an open-air breezeway along Quarry Road, it connects to the arboretum’s trails.
Walkways overlooking the courtyard provide outdoor access from office wings. Bridges traverse the courtyard edges.
The building feels open and welcoming, with many public areas easily accessible from the central courtyard. Access to office areas is controlled and secure.
The large entry plaza and courtyard are designed for communal uses on the ground floor: a restaurant-style café, conference room and fitness center.
New pathways at the ground plane connect to public art and landscape features.
The design takes advantage of Northern California’s mild climate by moving 20 percent of the program beyond the building’s walls. People can socialize and work in a diverse mix of outdoor spaces.
Porches, balconies, sky bridges and covered walkways extend from the building. Upper terraces create the sensation of being in the trees. These spaces experience breezes and shade in the summer and calmness and direct sunlight in the winter.
The design minimizes the Center’s impact on the environment. The slender wings and mixed structural column grid reduce the building’s footprint and materials.
A passive-first design approach takes full advantage of the site. The sun, wind and ecosystem influenced everything from the initial planning decisions to the building details.
The curtain wall—with ceramic frit patterns and three-story metal louvres on the west facade—minimizes glare while optimizing indoor thermal comfort and daylight.
The team created biophilic design guidelines.
The coast live oak tree inspired the design of the Center, which, like the tree, houses multiple environments within a single space. This native Californian tree forms an ideal environment for life. Its foliage blocks direct sun while allowing filtered light and breezes to pass through, creating a microhabitat of cool air under its canopy. Its structure reinforces the layering effect, creating a sense of space and movement.
The building wings are intentionally narrow, with no workspaces more than 30 feet from a window. This gives all occupants access to natural light and views of the neighboring arboretum and School of Medicine.
The entrance lobby and large interior gathering spaces are in the southwest corner, illuminated by natural light.
Organized as a collection of neighborhoods, the Center’s primary collaboration zones occur at the corners and ends of the wings. ‘Refuel stations’ adjacent to outdoor terraces provide alternative workspaces and areas for respite.
The Center is accessible via the university’s free, electrified public transportation system, as well as the bike paths and walking trails that run through the arboretum. On-site bike parking is available.
An underground garage eliminates the need for the surface parking that is prevalent in many California office developments.
The Center is conveniently located near the Stanford Shopping Center and several restaurants across the street.