This 305,000 SF urban development serves as Biogen Idec's global headquarters. This state-of-the-art facility, designed to accommodate 1,200 employees, anchors Cambridge's life science corridor.
Through the advanced use of Building Information Modeling (BIM), the project team achieved a design solution that provided an additional level while reducing the building's footprint while working within the project's approved zoning envelope. The result yielded an additional 20,000 SF of open space, allowing for critical public realm enhancements.
Adaptive reuse was central to the design concept, as two historic buildings bookend the new facility. These structures were thoughtfully restored to their original state while the new building respectfully responds to its surroundings, both celebrating East Cambridge's rich history. The restoration of these significant structures has been recognized by the Cambridge Historic Commission as the winner of this year's Historic Preservation Award.
The site links the residential neighborhood of East Cambridge with the life science cluster at Kendall Square, each offering distinct design influences to which this building should respond. The solution offers a highly transparent glass façade facing the Biogen Idec campus, which is broken by vertical terra cotta elements. To the north, the scale, proportions and materials are a collage of materials, using color, texture and pattern to articulate a vibrant, yet ordered expression. Urban courtyards are introduced at the relief points in the building's massing.
Through a process akin to Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), this project was completed with an unprecedented level of collaboration, facilitated through the advanced use of Building Information Modeling. This process resulted in considerable reductions to the project schedule and budget.
The innovation and collaboration fostered during the design process, teamed with a design response which fully responds to the urban fabric of East Cambridge, resulted in the creation of a truly distinctive global headquarters for Biogen Idec.
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