The Orchard Workspace Vertical landscape connects people to their city

Client Westbank
Location San Jose, CA
Size Workplace: 1,300,000 sq ft
Retail: 65,000 sq ft
Program Offices, retail, community spaces, parking
Sustainability Targeting LEED C&S Platinum, Well v2, ILFI Zero Carbon

The Westbank Campus comprises six sustainable, high-performance buildings designed to embrace nature and the public realm. Together, they create a beautiful, healthy community that connects people and inspires innovation. The Orchard, a key element of the campus, features a residential tower by James K.M. Cheng Architects and the Orchard Workspace by WRNS Studio, alongside additional projects designed by Kengo Kuma, Bjarke Ingels Group, and Studio Gang.

Where work, community, and nature converge

The Orchard Workspace features two towers atop a podium anchored by Market Hall, an indoor/outdoor public market that positions the site as a regional and neighborhood hub. Designed to embrace San Jose’s arts and culture energy, the project integrates retail, alleyways, and public spaces, creating a cohesive and vibrant live-work community.

The design reimagines Santa Clara Valley’s orchards as vertical landscapes. Large balconies with native and drought-tolerant plantings, including fruit trees, extend live/workspaces, improve air quality, and support energy efficiency. Together, the Orchard Workspace and Market Hall embody sustainability and community, responding to Downtown San Jose’s character while creating a vibrant live/work ecosystem.

Extensive planted balconies, shading, daylighting strategies, and mass timber construction reduce carbon impact while enhancing wellness and productivity. With a Net Zero water goal, the project’s innovative water system collects and treats reclaimed water for non-potable uses, such as irrigating native plantings and urban gardens.