San Diego is one of the  top life science clusters in the U.S. with strong demand for office and lab space. To serve this dynamic sector, The RMR Group (RMR), a leading alternative asset management company, fully redeveloped three existing buildings into a premier Class A, 186,000 SF life science campus. The transformation has been very successful:, Muse is now 85% leased to pioneers in the fields of digital surgery, regenerative medicine and biotechnology.

All three buildings were completely redesigned, stripped back to the slab and structural steel, and given new glass facades for a modern and sustainable look. RMR engaged tk1sc, a WSP company, to evaluate the existing infrastructure, upgrade central systems and execute engineering design for common areas and tenant improvements. The floorplates and supporting infrastructure was designed to provide maximum flexibility for prospective tenants, offering customizable office and lab spaces to suit a range of configurations. Each floor features a mix of collaborative workstations, private offices and conference rooms; lab spaces are equipped with fume hoods, vacuum, compressed air, lab benches and lab support rooms.

“The goal was to create a campus with very energy-efficient systems to serve a state-of-the-art lab environment,” said Joe Ross, Senior Principal at tk1sc. “We conducted extensive field investigations of the site, met with the developer and contractor teams to gain a deep understanding of the existing buildings and their complex systems.”

The tk1sc team discovered that many parts of the engineering systems were still operational and could be reused, which delivered a particularly cost-effective solution for a utility-hungry sector. “The MEP and low-voltage systems were a significant part of our project scope. Our findings helped keep the project budget and schedule aligned with the developer’s expectations,” said Ross.  As tenants begin to occupy the buildings, tk1sc continues to support RMR with multiple test fits and ongoing improvements.