Office Campus Design Creates Unexpected Experiences for Employee Engagement and Collaboration

Corporate office campuses are evolving beyond rows of cubicles and conference rooms. A new generation of workplace design prioritizes employee experience, social interaction, and connection with the natural environment. The recently completed Viasat campus in Carlsbad, California, designed by SCA Architecture (formerly Smith Consulting Architects), exemplifies this shift. Spanning 9 hectares (23 acres), the campus integrates six office buildings, three parking structures, a cafe and conference center, and an array of recreational amenities that create what the design team calls “unexpected experiences” throughout the outdoor spaces. This approach to collaborative workspace design demonstrates how thoughtful planning can foster creativity, innovation, and employee wellbeing in a corporate setting.

Planning a Large-Scale Office Campus: Site Strategy and Building Layout

The Viasat campus sits across the street from the company’s existing headquarters in Carlsbad, a coastal city in San Diego County. SCA Architecture managed the planning, design, and entitlements for the entire 9-hectare site, coordinating with a team of consultants including PLSA as civil engineer, Ground Level as landscape architect, Wiseman & Rohy as structural engineer, Syska Hennessy as mechanical and plumbing engineer, Michael Wall as electrical engineer, Whiting Turner as general contractor, and Brummitt Energy Associates as energy consultant.

Building Configuration and Massing

The campus accommodates six two- and three-story office buildings totaling 54,534 square meters (587,000 square feet). The design team arranged these buildings to create an open, campus-like atmosphere while maximizing usable floor area. Key planning decisions included:

• Two- and three-story massing to maintain human scale and visual connection to the landscape
• Below-grade parking beneath one building to preserve the open campus feel while providing secure visitor access
• Careful orientation of buildings to consider both internal campus elevations and views from neighboring properties
• Integration of the cafe and conference center as a central gathering hub

This approach to massing and site planning draws from principles used in other large-scale commercial projects, where intelligent building technology and thoughtful layout combine to create efficient, people-centered environments.

Site Planning Considerations for Large Campuses

When developing a campus of this scale, several factors must be addressed during the planning phase:

1. Circulation and connectivity — Pedestrian pathways, vehicle access, and service routes must be clearly separated yet logically connected
2. Parking strategy — Three parking structures serve the campus, with below-grade options that minimize visual impact
3. Utilities and infrastructure — Centralized mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems must support multiple buildings efficiently
4. Phasing and construction sequencing — Large campuses are often built in phases to manage budget and minimize operational disruption
5. Entitlements and permitting — Municipal approval processes for large-scale commercial development require early coordination with planning authorities

Unexpected Experiences: Designing Outdoor Spaces for Interaction and Wellbeing

The defining feature of the Viasat campus is the integration of what SCA Architecture calls “unexpected experiences” woven throughout the open outdoor spaces. Rather than treating the landscape as purely decorative, the design team created active, usable environments that encourage employees to spend time outside, interact with colleagues, and recharge during the workday.

Types of Outdoor Amenities

The campus includes a diverse range of outdoor features designed to support different modes of work, relaxation, and social interaction:

• Hammocks and swings — Casual seating options for relaxation or informal phone calls
• Bocce ball courts — Recreational spaces that encourage team building and friendly competition
• Jogging trails — Fitness infrastructure integrated into the landscape
• Water filling stations — Hydration points distributed throughout the campus
• Shade structures with banquette seating — Covered areas for informal meetings and collaboration
• Bar-height counter tables around trees — Outdoor dining and work surfaces
• Outdoor stage — Space for events, presentations, and performances
• Firepits — Social gathering points for cooler evenings
• Barbecue stations — Cooking facilities for employee gatherings
• Mobile device charging stations — Convenience infrastructure for outdoor work
• Displays of company technology — Integration of Viasat’s latest innovations into the landscape

These amenities reflect a broader trend in commercial workplace design where employers invest in physical environments that support WELL and RESET building standards and similar wellness-focused frameworks.

Designing for Serendipitous Encounters

Research in workplace psychology consistently shows that innovation often emerges from unplanned interactions between employees who might not otherwise cross paths. The “unexpected experiences” strategy creates destinations and pathways that increase the likelihood of these encounters:

• Distributing amenities across the campus draws employees through different zones throughout the day
• Shared destinations (cafe, outdoor stage, bocce courts) bring together people from different departments
• Varied seating options accommodate different working styles, from solitary focus to group collaboration
• Pathways between buildings pass through amenity zones, creating natural meeting points

Structural and Material Considerations for Office Campus Construction

While the experiential aspects of the campus receive the most attention, the project also required careful structural and material selection to achieve its architectural goals. The project falls under MasterFormat divisions 03 00 00 (Concrete) and 03 30 00 (Cast-in-Place Concrete), reflecting the structural system chosen for the buildings.

Why Cast-in-Place Concrete for Large Office Campuses

Cast-in-place concrete offers several advantages for projects of this scale:

1. Structural continuity — Monolithic construction eliminates joints that can become weak points over time
2. Acoustic performance — Concrete mass provides excellent sound isolation between floors and between buildings
3. Thermal mass — Concrete absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night, reducing HVAC loads
4. Fire resistance — Concrete is inherently fire-resistant, reducing the need for additional fireproofing
5. Design flexibility — Cast-in-place construction allows for varied floor heights, cantilevers, and architectural expression

The use of concrete also supports the campus aesthetic, where exposed structural elements contribute to the modern, industrial-influenced design language. Projects like the Viasat campus demonstrate why net-zero building design and construction strategies increasingly rely on materials that offer both structural and environmental performance benefits.

Landscape Architecture Integration with Building Structures

The landscape architecture by Ground Level played a critical role in bridging the built and natural environments. Key integration strategies included:

• Coordinating utility routing between buildings and landscape zones to avoid conflicts with tree planting and hardscape
• Designing shade structures that complement the architectural language of the office buildings
• Integrating drainage and stormwater management into the landscape rather than routing it through visible infrastructure
• Selecting plant species suited to Carlsbad’s coastal Mediterranean climate for long-term sustainability and reduced irrigation demand

Lessons from the Viasat Campus for Future Office Development

The Viasat campus offers several takeaways for developers, architects, and builders planning large-scale office environments in the current market.

What Makes an Office Campus Successful

Based on the design approach taken by SCA Architecture and the features incorporated into the Viasat campus, several principles emerge:

• Invest in outdoor spaces as seriously as indoor spaces — The amenity-rich landscape is not an afterthought but a core component of the workplace experience
• Design for different modes of work — Employees need spaces for focused work, collaboration, socializing, and solitude, both indoors and outdoors
• Integrate technology throughout — From device charging stations to displays of company innovations, technology should be woven into the physical environment
• Consider the employee journey — Every path between buildings, every outdoor space, and every amenity should feel intentional and curated
• Balance privacy and connection — Outdoor spaces should offer options for both quiet retreat and group interaction

These lessons extend beyond technology campus design. Commercial projects of all types, from mixed-use developments to corporate headquarters, can benefit from prioritizing occupant experience alongside functional efficiency. The strategies used at Viasat align with broader trends in workplace design for engineering and technology firms, where talent retention and creativity drive investment in the built environment.

Cost and Value Considerations

Developers evaluating similar approaches should consider the full value proposition:

The Viasat campus represents a deliberate investment in workplace quality. By creating an environment where employees want to spend time, the company positions itself to attract and retain top talent in a competitive labor market. The construction industry would do well to study this approach as workplace design continues to evolve in response to changing expectations around how and where people do their best work.

For builders and specifiers involved in commercial campus projects, the key takeaway is clear: the physical environment directly shapes organizational culture. Investing in thoughtful design, unexpected amenities, and high-quality construction materials creates spaces that not only function efficiently but also inspire the people who use them every day.