Designing an Ecological Corporate Campus

In honor of Earth Week, a look at an exceptional office park.

When Regeneron — New York’s largest biotech firm and the best biopharmaceutical employer in the world, according to Science magazine — set out to build a new headquarters, they asked W Architecture and Landscape Architecture to design the outdoor site for their new 45-acre Hudson Valley campus.

Inspired by the natural appeal of the region, the team sought to design a new workplace model that emphasized the outdoors just as much as the interior. We reached out to Barbara Wilks, a principal at W, to find out more about the project.

Where is the project located?

Tarrytown, NY

When was the project completed?

Spring 2015

What is the total size?

45 acres

What were the construction/hard costs per square foot?

$15 per square foot (landscape)

Tell us about the site’s proximity to public transportation and other amenities.

The site is three miles away from the Tarrytown Metro North Station. There are several trailways near the site that connect to Old Saw Mill River Road.

Which furniture brands/dealers were used? Please touch upon any notable products, how they were used, and if they solved a specific problem.

RAD Furniture for steel stools and custom wood benches and counters, and Southside Precast for precast concrete benches. The stools, benches, and counters provide outdoor seating, which was previously lacking on the site.

How is the company’s brand reflected in the space?

The landscape design includes innovative stormwater management features — native plantings, a rain garden, a green roof, permeable paving, and grass pavers. These features all manage stormwater sustainably onsite and showcase ecological processes. The plantings, stormwater management approach, and rolling earthwork topography highlight the Hudson Valley location of the office and are reflective of an energetic, inventive company.

What is the most unique feature of the new space?

The main courtyard and amphitheater provides space for employees to gather, play, and relax. There are spaces for large and small groups to meet and enjoy the courtyard and larger Hudson Valley surroundings on nice days. The main courtyard space encourages people to go outside.