Illumina is to open today a new seven-acre, 316,000 square-foot campus perched above an interstate that it has named i3, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The paper likens the firm to "a child constantly outgrowing clothes" and notes that 'i3' refers to "iconic, innovative, and inspired."
The site, which is a mile from the sequencing firm's headquarters, includes three buildings with open office space, lots of windows, and numerous meeting rooms. According to the paper, the buildings are cantilevered and appear to float above the fire lane.
San Diego Union-Tribune adds that the architects and designers drew the company's ethos of "work anywhere" to have both formal and informal work sites within the buildings, including a plaza lounge and booths where workers can use their cell phones.
"Employees manage their own day and calendars, so we infused the i3 workplace with open and non-bookable places for employees to work — these can be visitors from the main HQ campus or employees from another site," Jenny Durbin, the company's global facilities manager, tells the Union-Tribune. "An employee can choose to work at i3 even if their team or department is based at the main campus."