Kendall Square Life Science Cente

Boston, MA, United States

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Other Projects by Balance Architects

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400 Wood Road

Kendall Square Life Science Cente

Boston, MA, United States

Firm

Balance Architects

Type

Industrial › Laboratory

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2024

SIZE

25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft

BUDGET

$10M - 50M

The Kendall Square Life Science Center redefines the edge of Kendall Square with a bold, four-story commercial office and laboratory building that transforms one of the neighborhood’s last undeveloped corner parcels into a contemporary landmark. The site’s prominent position—and its constraints—drove a design that is both technically precise and architecturally expressive.
With a zero-lot-line condition pressed against an existing high-rise, the foundation strategy became a feat of engineering. Secant piles serve as both earth retention and foundation walls, unlocking every possible square foot for program—from the basement research spaces to the glass-wrapped upper levels.
At street level, a fully bonded porcelain façade with continuous marble veining creates a monumental, tactile base that anchors the building in its urban context. Above, three levels of lab and office space are enclosed in fritted glass, balancing transparency and performance by framing sweeping views of Kendall Square while mitigating glare and solar gain.
Rising from the roofline, a 125-foot exhaust stack—typically hidden in utilitarian anonymity—is celebrated as an architectural gesture. Clad in shimmering perforated metal, it becomes a sculptural beacon, signaling both the building’s technical function and its place in the evolving Cambridge skyline.
The Kendall Square Life Science Center embodies the dual identity of Kendall Square: cutting-edge science housed within a design that is as innovative as the work it supports.

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Kendall Square Life Science Cente

Boston, MA, United States

Other Projects by Balance Architects

400 Wood Road

Kendall Square Life Science Cente

Boston, MA, United States

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team