Image courtesy of City of San Bruno

September 3, 2024

Construction has reached a significant milestone for the first phase of the YouTube headquarters redevelopment in San Bruno. The project, managed by San Francisco-based Ellis Partners and designed by the renowned New York-based SHoP Architects, has successfully topped out, marking the completion of the steel and mass-timber frame that will form two three-story office buildings.

SHoP Architects, a firm with a history of collaboration with Alphabet, the parent company of YouTube, is responsible for the architectural design. For the YouTube headquarters, SHoP Architects aimed to create a structure that prioritizes people. The design features a contrast between dark metal girders and louvers with pale Douglas fir timber, embodying a sense of structural transparency and simplicity.

The two office buildings currently under construction at 1300 Bayhill Drive and 1350 Grundy Lane will offer 440,000 square feet of office space, supported by three levels of subterranean garages. These garages will span approximately 710,000 square feet and have the capacity to accommodate 1,896 vehicles. The underground parking is essential, as the construction phase removed surface parking previously available to employees.

This development is only the first phase of a much larger master plan, which spans 92 acres and will eventually include around 2.5 million square feet of office space, according to a report in SFYIMBY. The master plan envisions a five-phase project, with phase two expected to add two more office buildings, each approximately 250,000 square feet.

More construction is expected under the Bayhill Specific Plan, approved by the San Bruno City Council in 2021. This comprehensive plan will provide sweeping redevelopment, including up to 2.4 million additional square feet of office space, 573 housing units, a redeveloped shopping center, potential expanded hotel uses, and extensive upgrades to transportation and other supporting infrastructure over the next 20 years. As part of the agreement, YouTube is set to pay $56 million to the city to cover fees associated with the first and part of the second phase of construction.

Last year, YouTube unveiled two new buildings as part of its campus expansion at 1400 and 1450 Bayhill Drive, officially opening the structures that began construction in August 2020. The event marked the latest achievement in YouTube’s ambitious redevelopment plans, which emphasize sustainability and innovation.

At the unveiling event, YouTube also announced a $200,000 grant for the San Bruno Education Foundation, funded by Google.org, the philanthropic arm of YouTube’s parent company, Google. This grant will support STEM, art, and music programs in the San Bruno Park School District over the next two years.

According to a report by the San Mateo Daily Journal, YouTube was the city of San Bruno’s second-largest employer, with 2,380 employees, as of 2021. The expansion of the headquarters reflects the company’s growth and deepening ties to the San Bruno community.

This redevelopment reflects YouTube’s commitment to creating a modern, employee-centered workspace while also contributing to the broader commercial real estate landscape in the Bay Area. As the project progresses, it is expected to become a landmark example of sustainable and innovative office design across the Bay Area.