Global Security Operations Center

The Global Security Operations Center (GSOC) is a mass-timber, net-zero-energy, LEED Platinum building that serves as a modern security and emergency response center for Genentech’s South San Francisco campus. The design combines sustainability and safety with a simple, quiet warmth that belies its serious function. The single-story building includes offices and an apparatus bay for maintaining a future all-electric fleet of emergency vehicles, supporting 24/7 security operations while offering a welcoming architectural presence that greets staff and visitors at the campus entrance.

The building demonstrates innovation and resilience, subtly advancing sustainability through its performance, materiality, and focus on environmental and occupant health. This project is the first to achieve LEED V4.1 Platinum certification in North America. It is also Fitwel V2 2-Star certified and is targeting ILFI’s Zero Carbon certification. These achievements are greatly aided by using wood. The building reduces its overall lifecycle carbon emissions by 72% through its timber structure, combined with low-carbon concrete, insulation, and finishes. It also features a CO2-based HVAC system, the first of its kind in North America.

The unique architectural expression of the CLT ‘butterfly’ roof provides ample surface area for PV panels and offers natural drainage, guiding stormwater to bioswales while allowing for north-facing clerestory windows into the building. The building is designed to a high safety factor to enable continuous operation during major seismic events—essential for a 24/7 emergency services and security building—and structural details that enhance fire protection. Exposed interior timber elements eliminate the need for unnecessary finishes, help maintain high indoor air quality, and are toxin-free.

Together, these strategies position the GSOC as a compelling model for how design can elevate critical infrastructure. Using mass timber, the project transforms a traditionally utilitarian building type into a space of warmth, clarity, and precision, while meeting strict technical requirements for seismic performance, fire safety, and continuous operation. As a net-zero, all-electric, and highly resilient facility, the building showcases the potential of mass timber in mission-critical settings, providing a repeatable model for future projects of this type.