Under the architectural direction of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum (HOK) of Los Angeles, CA, the new pharmaceutical campus was designed to create a corporate environment that thrives on innovation, collaboration and employee development. In particular, Biogen Idec had two specific objectives. Realizing that its dedicated employees often devote long hours to their work, it was important that the working environment be comfortable and inviting. Additionally, the company relies tremendously on recruiting, so an aesthetically pleasing campus -- reflecting Biogen Idec's ideologies -- was also a key factor.
To ensure that the desired design goals were met, a steering committee comprised of some leading department members of Biogen Idec's senior management -- as well as senior management from Cisterra Partners, the project developer -- was formed. It was this committee that chose HOK from a group of six architectural firms who were invited to participate in the design competition. The steering committee was impressed with HOK's portfolio of corporate campus projects, and Cisterra Partners was already familiar with the firm's capabilities, as they worked together on the development of Cisco Pharmaceutical's 1 million-square-foot European headquarters.