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Watertown Exploratory Labs (WELL)
Watertown Exploratory Labs (WELL)
Watertown, MA, United States
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Other Projects by ELKUS|MANFREDI ARCHITECTS
Watertown Exploratory Labs (WELL)
Watertown, MA, United States
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2024
SIZE
300,000 sqft - 500,000 sqft
Photos
Originally constructed in 1931 as the Western Electric headquarters, this seven-story Art Deco industrial building has been transformed into Watertown Exploratory Labs (WELL), a 491,000-square-foot, LEED Gold–certified life sciences campus that bridges historic character with advanced scientific infrastructure right near Harvard, MIT, and Kendall Square in Cambridge – dubbed “the most innovative square mile in the world.”
The design preserves the building’s masonry façade, structural cadence, and industrial patina while inserting contemporary elements that clarify circulation and introduce light. The primary entrance was repositioned to create a new public-facing identity, anchored by a landscaped plaza and monumental murals that fuse art and science.
Internally, layers of Art Deco–inspired materials, such as polished concrete, custom millwork, metal detailing, and patterned tile, reinterpret the building’s heritage through a modern lens. A formerly buried atrium was carved open and reconnected to the exterior, transforming it into the visual and social heart of the campus.
Adaptive reuse converts a once-fragmented “rabbit warren” of offices into a connected ecosystem for research, diagnostics, and GMP manufacturing.
A new four-level addition houses critical lab infrastructure and manufacturing space, enabling seamless movement from discovery to production. At ground level, 26,200 square feet of amenity space, including dining, conference facilities, lounges, and fitness, all of which create intentional overlap between tenants, fostering collaboration across disciplines.
By reusing a nearly century-old structure rather than demolishing it, the LEED Gold-certified project significantly reduces embodied carbon while extending the life of an irreplaceable building for another 50 to100 years.
High-performance envelope upgrades, efficient HVAC systems, water reduction strategies, and onsite photovoltaics further reduce operational impact.
WELL demonstrates that adaptive reuse can do more than preserve history; it can catalyze innovation, transforming an introverted factory into an open, collaborative engine for scientific discovery.
The design preserves the building’s masonry façade, structural cadence, and industrial patina while inserting contemporary elements that clarify circulation and introduce light. The primary entrance was repositioned to create a new public-facing identity, anchored by a landscaped plaza and monumental murals that fuse art and science.
Internally, layers of Art Deco–inspired materials, such as polished concrete, custom millwork, metal detailing, and patterned tile, reinterpret the building’s heritage through a modern lens. A formerly buried atrium was carved open and reconnected to the exterior, transforming it into the visual and social heart of the campus.
Adaptive reuse converts a once-fragmented “rabbit warren” of offices into a connected ecosystem for research, diagnostics, and GMP manufacturing.
A new four-level addition houses critical lab infrastructure and manufacturing space, enabling seamless movement from discovery to production. At ground level, 26,200 square feet of amenity space, including dining, conference facilities, lounges, and fitness, all of which create intentional overlap between tenants, fostering collaboration across disciplines.
By reusing a nearly century-old structure rather than demolishing it, the LEED Gold-certified project significantly reduces embodied carbon while extending the life of an irreplaceable building for another 50 to100 years.
High-performance envelope upgrades, efficient HVAC systems, water reduction strategies, and onsite photovoltaics further reduce operational impact.
WELL demonstrates that adaptive reuse can do more than preserve history; it can catalyze innovation, transforming an introverted factory into an open, collaborative engine for scientific discovery.
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