When an organization is searching for sites for a new office building, an abandoned rock quarry probably isn’t one of the first places that comes to mind.

But a former granite quarry in coastal Massachusetts is exactly where the life science company Cell Signaling Technology plans to develop a new research campus with help from architects at HGA.

Cell Signaling Technology plans to begin construction this year at a 48-acre site in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, about 30 miles north of Boston on the Atlantic coast. Quarry operations on site began in the 1950s. Cell Signaling Technology acquired the site on April 8 for $18.5 million from A.J. Simboli, according to CoStar data.

HGA designed the campus as a net-zero emissions property with all-electric power systems and on-site energy generation from geothermal sources. A pair of five-story building wings will cover a total of 263,000 square feet and will be connected by a central lobby. The campus will also include a parking deck.

The new campus will be set on the quarry cliff, providing views of the exposed rock, and will utilize mass timber construction materials in the lobby pavilion, according to HGA. Granite reclaimed from the quarry will be used for the building base and windows will be equipped with vacuum-insulated glazing.

The master plan also calls for revitalizing the natural ecosystem of the site that was destroyed as part of the quarry’s operations, including restoration of topsoil to encourage plant and tree growth.

The design will encompass two large outdoor spaces “to engage employees and guests with their natural surroundings,” according to Cell Signaling Technology.

The architects and company officials are required to obtain permits from the town for connecting to its existing water and sewer system. They also obtained a permit to exceed the town’s height restrictions for buildings.

Cell Signaling Technology will continue to occupy its headquarters office in Danvers, Massachusetts, and a production facility in Beverly, Massachusetts, according to a company spokeswoman. Cell Signaling Technology makes antibodies, cellular assay kits, reagents and other products used in medical research.

The first phase of the new building is estimated for completion in 2028. Privately held Cell Signaling Technology did not disclose project costs.

Samir Srouji at HGA was the principal in charge and design principal. Mark Allan, Su Zhang, Jacqueline Camenisch, Matt Ellsworth, Ariane Laxo, Alyssa Hubbard, Karl Hennig, Queena Wang and Zhulin He also worked on the project for HGA. Studio 2112 in Boston is landscape architect. Columbia Construction is general contractor. Mark Glovsky is legal counsel to Cell Signaling Technology.