Roche Molecular Systems to Expand Hacienda Campus

By Jay Hipps, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

New 70,700 Square Foot Office to House 300 Employees

Roche Molecular Systems is set to break ground on a three-story, 70,700 square foot office building at the southwest corner of Stoneridge Drive and Willow Road, the latest structure on the company's 33-acre campus. The facility is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy in the first quarter of 2017. In all, approximately 300 employees are expected to be housed in the new building. When complete, the building will bring the total size of Roche's Hacienda facilities to nearly 380,000 square feet.

"We've had significant head count growth on the campus over the last 24 months, almost exponentially, due to the growth of our Sequencing unit," says Greg Canfield, senior director of facilities management for Roche. "We just don't have enough seats left on the campus to accommodate what we have today plus the future forecast." The global headquarters of both Roche's Sequencing and Molecular Diagnostics units are in Hacienda.

Sequencing is an emerging field that allows doctors to map a patient's DNA in order to personalize treatment. Roche's Next Generation Sequencing technology is useful in a number of ways. For example, doctors can take a sample from a patient, sequence it, and look at key portions of their genome to determine the correct therapy or predisposition to certain diseases. Roche projects Sequencing will be the fastest growing segment of their business over the next 10 years.

The new facility itself will also be innovative. "Minimal impact to the environment from our facilities and our operations are all extremely important," says Canfield. "We focus around sustainability, be it water conservation, energy consumption, or our carbon footprint. For example, all Roche and Genentech facilities have goals of not exceeding a certain amount of energy consumption per employee, per site. We call it the Roche Energy Goal. The concern is the more energy consumed, the more CO2 that you're admitting to the environment."

In addition to following company guidelines, Canfield notes the new structure will also meet the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) standards. "The building will not only meet, but exceed our sustainability goals, with a LEED Gold certification," says Greg. "It will include innovative and sustainable design features, like solar thermal for domestic hot water, very high efficiency Indirect/Direct Evaporative Cooling HVAC system, and the use of reclaimed water for restroom waste fixtures and landscaping."

In addition to individual workspaces for 300 employees, the new facility will include a variety of meeting spaces and small, medium and large conference rooms planned throughout the building. Offices in the building will follow an open concept layout. It will also bring a number of new and improved amenities to Roche's Hacienda campus, including a new and significantly expanded Fitness Center with room for fitness classes and weight/cardio room, a new onsite health clinic, and an expanded ergonomics room.

As part of the new construction, 172 additional parking spaces will be added, as well as the underground infrastructure for potential future electric vehicle charging stations. A new Grab and Go cafe with patio seating, a smoothie bar, and barista coffee service will also be added.

"The next 15-17 months will be a whirlwind of activity, but the end result will be an efficient, well-designed and welcomed addition to the campus," says Canfield. "We're all looking forward to move-in day."

For additional information on Roche, access the company's web site at www.roche.com.

Photo: A rendering of Roche's expanded campus.

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