FOSTER CITY, CA — McCarthy Building Companies Inc. (McCarthy), recently celebrated the topping out of the New Technical Development Center (NTDC) at Gilead Sciences’ headquarters in Foster City, California, marking a major construction milestone with the completion of the building’s structural frame. The work is in collaboration with design partners DGA Architects, Salas O’Brien Structural Engineers, and civil designer BKF Engineer.
Project partners, field teams, and leaders gathered on site to celebrate the center’s topping out, marking placement of the final beam and the structure reaching full height. The centuries-old tradition honors the collective effort behind the milestone and signals that structural work is nearing completion as the project moves into its next phase.
The five-story, 180,000-square-foot facility will support Gilead’s technical development operations. Once complete, the building will feature pilot lab spaces and advanced digital infrastructure to accelerate technology transfer and support the advancement of biologics across Gilead’s pipeline. The structure includes approximately 2,364 tons of steel and is supported by a foundation system totaling roughly 2,200 cubic yards of concrete. McCarthy’s self-perform teams completed the structural excavation and concrete work during the foundation phase.
The project is on track to achieve LEED Gold certification, deliver a 10 percent reduction in embodied carbon across primary building materials, and meet the water-neutrality requirements established by Foster City.
Designed to meet the Bay Area’s rigorous seismic demands, the building incorporates advanced structural systems, including buckling restrained braced frames, to support resilience and long-term performance. The project team has also leveraged a robust digital coordination approach, utilizing Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Virtual Design Construction (VDC) workflows alongside laser scanning technology to enhance accuracy, safety, and efficiency throughout construction.
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Through disciplined planning, sequencing, and field logistics, the team has maintained progress on the superstructure, supported by schedule performance tracking and targeted acceleration strategies to keep the project moving forward.
“As a builder, topping out is always a meaningful milestone and a reflection of the strong coordination and commitment across the entire project team,” said Andrew Murray, Senior Project Director at McCarthy. “This facility represents an important investment in innovation, and we’re proud to partner with Gilead to help bring this vision to life.”
Construction is continuing as the project transitions into interior buildout and systems installation, with McCarthy’s self-perform drywall team helping lead early interior efforts. Upcoming phases include continued work on building enclosure, MEP systems, and commissioning.
