Blitz’s project for Westport Capital Partners LLC (“Westport”) includes the complete renovation of two office buildings on the 150,000 SF Marina Landing campus in Brisbane, California, located just seven miles south of San Francisco. The goal of the building repositioning was to transform the location into a sought after creative office and campus strategic building.
Both buildings, which have remained vacant for more than four years prior to the renovation, underwent a complete exterior and interior repositioning. Blitz created a cohesive campus design that visually unifies the two buildings and fosters an instantly recognizable identity. The design embraces the surrounding mountains and marina, and is located adjacent to the San Francisco airport. Creating a people-centered experience that improves efficiencies and visual connections between interior spaces is paramount. Similar exterior color palettes, textured materials, and metal panel systems on main entry canopies are used in alternating and opposing schemes on both buildings to create a sense of connection between the structures while preserving each building’s distinct identity. Shared campus amenities such as bay view walking trails, outdoor seating, and native landscaping provide a connection between the two buildings and a clear path of travel between the two entries.
Walking trails with bay views and a new landscaped walkway between buildings reinforce the new entrance orientations and emphasize connectivity on the campus.
The 7000 Marina Blvd. building includes approximately 85,000 sf on six floors. Originally built in 1986 as the headquarters for the R. Dakin Co., a plush toy manufacturer, the building possesses strong architectural characteristics, now enhanced with increased access to light and views desired in a modern office. By replacing the existing awning windows with floor-to-ceiling, high-performance insulated glazing, views and daylight are maximized while also improving thermal performance. Exterior walls further push outward on existing cantilevered slabs to create pop out areas for informal breakout spaces and small meeting pods that showcase collaboration from the inside out. New exterior feature lighting highlights the new elements and provides a distinct street view of the building at night.
The main entrance of 7000 Marina was rotated from the south to southwest side of the building to directly relate to the 5000 Marina building. The entrance opens to an expansive two-story lobby with green walls, custom front desk, and renovated elevator lobby. The lobby provides direct access to the building’s impressive five-story atrium, which was previously built out as office space. Blitz removed the existing wall components to expose the structural steel. Designed for ultimate flexibility, the large open space includes area for a multi-use stage for meetings and events. Large roll-up doors and an outdoor patio create collaborative space that can easily expand the space to the exterior. The atrium can also be used as the main employee gathering and all-hands area for both buildings.
The 5000 Marina Blvd. building, constructed in 2001, is situated to the south of the 7000 Marina building. To open up the approximately 65,000 sf three-story building and take advantage of expansive and unobstructed views of the bay and Candlestick Park, Blitz has added glazing to the north side of the building. Existing exterior panel features are to be repainted to correspond with the neighboring 7000 building. The reoriented entry canopy uses similar color palette and materials to create a clear connection between the two entrances. The space is currently being leased by Ultragenyx, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company.
The interior scope for 5000 Marina includes a complete gut of the office floors as a build-out of a common lobby with a green wall, floor and wall graphics correspond with its neighbor to the North. A custom reclaimed timber security desk is the focal point of the lobby entry. Graphics on the main floor harken to the nearby airport and provide distinctive wayfinding.