Project overview: Fostering world-changing research to advance human health, spaces that support the life science industry play an increasingly important role in our society. Providing healthy environments to support scientists engaged in this critical work is paramount, and challenging industry standards for these historically energy-intensive buildings offers an opportunity to create a new paradigm for future generations of lab buildings. Mass timber has yet to be accepted as a viable building system for life science use, but we believe there is a realistic path to employ this sustainable solution to significantly reduce embodied carbon while meeting the complex technical requirements needed to facilitate world-class research.
With sustainability, resiliency, and construction efficiency at the forefront of our aspirations, this project contemplates a mass timber solution grounded in the realities of lab design. This concept is based on proven dimensions for laboratory bay spacing, meets the technical requirements for structural and vibration control, and accommodates complex ventilation systems, all while offering a nature-based setting to promote health and wellness. Considering an urban site in one of the nation’s leading research clusters, this study focuses on offsetting the carbon impacts associated with traditional life science development. Since the majority of a building’s carbon is embedded in its structural system, the use of mass timber results in 40% less embodied carbon (when compared to a steel structure), offers significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and serves as a “carbon sink”, all resulting in a biophilic environment which prioritizes the human experience for today’s scientist.
Project location: Massachusetts
Firm name: SGA
Jury comments: The intention of maximizing and leveraging the benefits of mass timber is very clear: reducing embodied carbon and creating a healthy environment through biophilia. Given its reliance on existing lab facilities, the design has a strong resemblance to project precedents proposed to the City of Boston, giving it a sense of realism.
Images/Photographer(s): SGA Sustainability: Thornton Tomasetti Code: Code Red MEP: BR+A General Contractor: Consigli Construction
