An R&D Campus Built to Develop Life-Changing Treatments
Aperture Del Mar Phase 2 | San Diego, California
DPR built two four-story, 140,000-sq.-ft. office buildings (B3 and B4) as part of the five-building Aperture Del Mar development, now home to Neurocrine Biosciences’ headquarters. The campus includes office and R&D lab space focused on treatments for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Additional work included 35,000-sq.-ft. basements, site improvements, a loading dock, and a 13,000-sq.-ft. fitness center.
Partners
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Client Gemdale USA Corporation
About the Project
Located in Del Mar, within the nation’s third-largest life sciences cluster, the new campus provides a fully amenitized innovation and research environment. Purpose-built for Neurocrine, Aperture was designed around flexibility and scalability. At full build-out, the campus will include five buildings, a standalone parking structure, and an outdoor amenity space with an event lawn, walking paths, and an amphitheater. In addition to the two Phase 1 buildings, Phase 2 brings the workspace total to 535,000-sq.-ft.
Project Innovations
Laser-Scanning for Quality Control
Each floor's composite deck had thousands of penetrations for pipe sleeves and hangers, which required exact placement to avoid rework. DPR's VDC team laser-scanned each deck before the Self-Perform Concrete crew poured. From here, strategic partner VConstruct immediately back-checked all scans against the project BIM model for quality control. Once the deck cured, the VDC team went back and laser-scanned again, ensuring all floors met tolerance for flatness.
Preventing Supply Chain-related Delays
Due to supply shortages of power transformers and switchgear, lead times from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) were unknown—creating potential for delays to the project. In response, the project team leveraged its relationships and worked closely with their planner, SDG&E, Gemdale, and trade partners to strategize procurement and make-ready work. The team set and energized all transformers and all plant and equipment before switchgear was set inside the building, avoiding impacts to the schedule.
Phased Turnover of Active Campus
To maintain tenant access to Buildings 1 and 2 during construction of Buildings 3 and 4, the core-and-shell team worked closely with facilities, trade partners, self-perform crews, and the TI project team to coordinate a smoother phasing process. This helped prevent disruptions to occupied spaces as well as create efficiencies for the incoming TI work. Solutions included building a pedestrian bridge from the parking garage to Buildings 1 and 2, allowing office users to safely traverse through the active construction zone.
Project
Innovations
Laser-Scanning for Quality Control
Each floor's composite deck had thousands of penetrations for pipe sleeves and hangers, which required exact placement to avoid rework. DPR's VDC team laser-scanned each deck before the Self-Perform Concrete crew poured. From here, strategic partner VConstruct immediately back-checked all scans against the project BIM model for quality control. Once the deck cured, the VDC team went back and laser-scanned again, ensuring all floors met tolerance for flatness.
Preventing Supply Chain-related Delays
Due to supply shortages of power transformers and switchgear, lead times from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) were unknown—creating potential for delays to the project. In response, the project team leveraged its relationships and worked closely with their planner, SDG&E, Gemdale, and trade partners to strategize procurement and make-ready work. The team set and energized all transformers and all plant and equipment before switchgear was set inside the building, avoiding impacts to the schedule.
Phased Turnover of Active Campus
To maintain tenant access to Buildings 1 and 2 during construction of Buildings 3 and 4, the core-and-shell team worked closely with facilities, trade partners, self-perform crews, and the TI project team to coordinate a smoother phasing process. This helped prevent disruptions to occupied spaces as well as create efficiencies for the incoming TI work. Solutions included building a pedestrian bridge from the parking garage to Buildings 1 and 2, allowing office users to safely traverse through the active construction zone.
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