Global real estate companies Lendlease and Ivanhoé Cambridge recently announced the topping-out of FORUM, a nine-story, 350,000-sf life sciences building in Boston. Located in Boston Landing, a 15-acre mixed-use community, the $545 million project will achieve operational net zero carbon upon completion in 2024.
FORUM’s flexible, 50,000-sf floorplates can accommodate multiple or single-floor tenants in both laboratory and office spaces. Its state-of-the-art mechanical and electrical infrastructure has been engineered to support cutting-edge research and development.
The design by SGA emphasizes the facility’s forward-looking focus, with a curvilinear façade punctuated with copper metal panels and tripled-glazed glass. In addition to a landscaped plaza leading to the double-height lobby, the publicly accessible areas include a community living room and café that can be used for both the building’s and the neighborhood’s programming. The first floor also features an art gallery that will showcase rotating works by local artists.
On the third floor, collaboration spaces in the conference center will serve a variety of meeting sizes and configurations. The third floor also will offer shared tenant amenities, including a kitchen and eating area, plus a 7,000-sf outdoor terrace with cabanas, seating areas, and grilling stations. Private terraces will be available for some tenant spaces.
The façade will integrate 1,600 sf of photovoltaic solar, and a rainwater cistern will reuse captured rainwater for building facilities. The 284-stall parking garage will include electric vehicle charging stations. The building also will have storage for 146 bicycles and on-site locker rooms. The project is targeting LEED Platinum, WiredScore Platinum, and Fitwel certification.
“FORUM reinforces Boston’s reputation as a global hub for medical and biological research while establishing Boston Landing as a destination for leading life sciences companies,” Mark Barer, director of development, Boston, Lendlease, said in a statement.
On the Building Team:
Owner/developer: Lendlease and Ivanhoé Cambridge
Design architect and architect of record: SGA
MEP engineer: BR+A Consulting Engineers
Structural engineer: McNamara Salvia
Construction: Consigli Construction
Related Stories
BIM and Information Technology | May 8, 2023
3 ways computational tools empower better decision-making
NBBJ explores three opportunities for the use of computational tools in urban planning projects.
Mass Timber | May 1, 2023
SOM designs mass timber climate solutions center on Governors Island, anchored by Stony Brook University
Governors Island in New York Harbor will be home to a new climate-solutions center called The New York Climate Exchange. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), The Exchange will develop and deploy solutions to the global climate crisis while also acting as a regional hub for the green economy. New York’s Stony Brook University will serve as the center’s anchor institution.
University Buildings | Apr 24, 2023
Solving complicated research questions in interdisciplinary facilities
University and life science project owners should consider the value of more collaborative building methods, close collaboration with end users, and the benefits of partners who can leverage sector-specific knowledge to their advantage.
Laboratories | Mar 9, 2023
5 laboratory design choices that accelerate scientific discovery
Stephen Blair, director of CannonDesign's Science & Technology Practice, identifies five important design strategies to make the most out of our research laboratories.
University Buildings | Feb 9, 2023
3 ways building design can elevate bold thinking and entrepreneurial cultures
Mehrdad Yazdani of CannonDesign shares how the visionary design of a University of Utah building can be applied to other building types.
Giants 400 | Feb 9, 2023
New Giants 400 download: Get the complete at-a-glance 2022 Giants 400 rankings in Excel
See how your architecture, engineering, or construction firm stacks up against the nation's AEC Giants. For more than 45 years, the editors of Building Design+Construction have surveyed the largest AEC firms in the U.S./Canada to create the annual Giants 400 report. This year, a record 519 firms participated in the Giants 400 report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
University Buildings | Feb 7, 2023
Kansas City University's Center for Medical Education Innovation can adapt to changes in medical curriculum
The Center for Medical Education Innovation (CMEI) at Kansas City University was designed to adapt to changes in medical curriculum and pedagogy. The project program supported the mission of training leaders in osteopathic medicine with a state-of-the-art facility that leverages active-learning and simulation-based training.
Mass Timber | Jan 30, 2023
Net-positive, mass timber building will promote research on planetary well-being in Barcelona
ZGF Architects, along with Barcelona-based firms MIRAG and Double Twist, have designed a net-positive, mass timber center for research on planetary well-being. Located in Barcelona, the Mercat del Peix Research Center will bring together global experts in the experimental sciences, social sciences, and humanities to address challenges related to the future of the planet.
Adaptive Reuse | Dec 21, 2022
University of Pittsburgh reinvents century-old Model-T building as a life sciences research facility
After opening earlier this year, The Assembly recently achieved LEED Gold certification, aligning with the school’s and community’s larger sustainability efforts.
Data Centers | Nov 28, 2022
Data centers are a hot market—don't waste the heat!
SmithGroup's Brian Rener shares a few ways to integrate data centers in mixed-use sites, utilizing waste heat to optimize the energy demands of the buildings.