The Life Science Campus Experience

9800-04 Medical Center Drive
Outdoor Amenity Spaces

Rockville, MD

Alexandria Real Estate Equities recognized the potential to revitalize a suburban office park into a dynamic, urban-inspired campus, aiming to attract leading life science and technology companies seeking innovative and collaborative environments.

EwingCole served as the Architect of Record for an ambitious campus expansion that redefined a suburban office park into a vibrant, urban-inspired environment. The project included the construction of a new building, a striking entrance façade uniting an existing structure with a newly built parking garage, and a tiered public plaza that anchors the campus.

The terraced plaza seamlessly blends lawn areas, tree groves, and diverse surfaces to accommodate a range of events, from live music and movies to farmers’ markets and al fresco dining. Hardscape elements extend to the curb, creating off-street spaces ideal for food trucks and other amenities.

Custom-designed bench swings offer visitors a relaxing retreat, while large circular planters with integrated seating enhance the lower plaza. Tiered concrete bench seating descends the sloping site toward the new building, interspersed with planting beds that provide greenery and manage stormwater through bioretention systems.

The parking garage features a screen wall façade that artfully conceals vehicles while incorporating vertical and diagonal lighting for nighttime visual effects. A colorful mural in the courtyard between the garage and the existing building adds a lively, artistic touch to the campus.