Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute

Cambridge, MA

2006

230,000 sf

with Maryann Thompson Architects and Elkus/Manfredi Architects

Goals

• Create a new home for a revolutionary genomic research institute, supporting its unique approach to research and the concept of collaboration and community.

Challenges

• As the first architect in what was ultimately a large collaborative team, establish a design strategy, process, and team to reach the goals.
• Synthesize the vision of the founding Director and Faculty into a new design concept for labs, offices, and community spaces.
• Develop design impact and coordination responses to the building developer to meet a very aggressive schedule.
• Coordinate the efforts of multiple design firms: Maryann Thompson Architects during Schematic Design; Wilson Architects for programming.
• Transition seamlessly to Elkus/Manfredi Architects at the end of Schematic Design to complete design development, construction documents and administration.
• Integrate program elements with the building shell, a build-to-suit structure developed by Boston Properties and designed by Elkus/Manfredi with input from the Broad team.

Design Response

• In order to support the mission of scientific collaboration, openness, transparency, and flexibility became primary motivators for design.
• Signer Harris Architects led the Director and Senior Faculty through a series of visioning sessions, contributing to identifying goals, aspirations, and criteria for the institute.
• Proposed and designed an innovative and atypical strategy for a lab building that would allow for openness and collaboration.
• Quickly generated multiple design iterations to support a dynamic evolution and collaboration with client leadership.
• Provided significant advance decisions on everything from plans to structural loading in order to meet the accelerated schedule for occupancy.
• Developed plan concepts for the build-to-suit developer building, including relocating the main entrance and elevator core to positively impact orientation, circulation, and interaction between Institute members.
• Designed planning layout that separates "production" platforms – where routine tests can be performed in massive quantities – from research environments, allowing both greater openness and unexpected opportunities for scientific collaborations.
• Developed fire-rated separation strategies to provide flexibility for increased use and distribution of chemicals in the building, and allow circulation to flow relatively uninterrupted between office suites, labs, and production areas.
• Led a collaborative team of architects and consultants to address discrete portions of programming and design, resulting in occupying a new building about 24 months after site selection.

Contractor

John Moriarty & Associates

Consultants

Advanced Technology Solutions, Nicholas Browse & Associates, Rolf Jensen & Associates, Wilson Architects