Truebeck Completes 651 Gateway in South San Francisco

Truebeck is pleased to announce the completion of 651 Gateway in South San Francisco. This ambitious 315,000sf project repurposed a 17-story high rise office building into a state-of-the-art facility for life sciences tenants. This adaptive reuse project turned an older, outdated Class B office space into a Class A life sciences building, embracing a conversion approach that reduced overall project costs while minimizing environmental impact.

The project’s scope included replacing the outdated exterior with a new curtain wall system and implementing seismic retrofitting. Truebeck collaborated with IMEG Corp. to implement fluid viscous dampers, a retrofit solution that reduced story drift to bring rotation demands on beam-to-column connections within code limits. This novel structural concept enhances seismic resilience by making the building less rigid while maintaining its aesthetic appeal.

In close coordination with WRNS Studio, Truebeck integrated three “lantern” extensions that protrude from the building, adding visual interest and breaking up the otherwise flat exterior. Additional features include a double-height breakroom on the 16th floor with a double-height window wall, and a double-height recess that creates a patio area.

The project also involved significant upgrades to the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems to accommodate laboratory use, including the installation of new equipment. Improvements were made to the elevators, security systems, lobby, and restroom finishes. Shared spaces, hazardous material storage, and amenities for life science tenants were also constructed.

The project scope additionally included the build-out for life science tenants occupying select floors of the building in a multi-tenant arrangement. 

Congratulations to the entire project team for successfully delivering this revitalized and modernized building to South San Francisco, enhancing its reputation as one of the largest biotech clusters in the world. Truebeck’s partners on the project include:

Architecture: WRNS Studio
Electrical: Decker Electric Co.
Fire Protection: H&M Mechanical Group
Curtain Wall: Royal Glass Company, Inc.
Mechanical and Plumbing: ACCO Engineered Systems
MEP Basis of Design: AEI
Structural Engineering: IMEG Corp