186,000 s/f ARC designed Genzyme Corp. campus earns LEED Gold certification

A new, $85 million life sciences building designed by ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge for Genzyme Corp. has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The 186,000 s/f, 6-story biologics support center, designed by ARC and constructed by Gilbane Building Co. was completed in July 2011. The facility, located at 68 New York Ave., is part of a corporate campus master-planned by ARC for Genzyme and provides support for the adjacent cell culture expansion building and other Genzyme manufacturing facilities on the campus. In addition to consolidating a number of departments and laboratories, the facility provides offices and conference space for the biologicsquality assurance, manufacturing, and automation departments of Genzyme, as well as a full range of technical support spaces including a data center and technical operations center. A central lecture hall, break-out spaces housed in the glass entrance tower and a cafe with roof terraces all are designed to foster interaction and communication among building users. To achieve LEED Gold status, buildings must meet rigorous benchmarks in areas such as sustainable sites, water dfficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process. Of a total possible 69 points, to achieve Platinum status a building must earn 52+ points, 39 – 51 points for Gold status, 33 – 38 for Silver status, and 26 – 32 points for Certified status. The biologics support center received 44 points. The largest number of points in one subcategory was earned for the building’s optimized energy performance. Energy models demonstrated that through improved thermal envelope construction, energy reducing interior lighting strategies, energy recovery through the use of heat wheel technology and active chilled beam technology, the building’s energy cost savings was 27.7%. The next highest points were awarded in the water efficient landscaping section for the condensate water reuse irrigation system, the water use section for a 43.4% reduction of potable water use through the use of waterless urinals and low-flow fixtures, the construction waste management section for diverting 89.59% of on-site generated construction waste from landfill, and the recycled content section for 26.44% of the building’s materials being manufactured from recycled content. Single points were awarded in many more subcategories such as innovation in design, green power, thermal comfort, etc. Thornton Tomasetti | Fore Solutions served as the LEED consultant for the project. The design of the new biologics support center complements the adjacent Genzyme Science Center, also designed by ARC. Completed in 2007, the 177,000 s/f science center building also received LEED Gold. “With a second LEED Gold facility at its Framingham campus, Genzyme is a corporate leader in pursuing environmentally friendly policies in the region,” said ARC principal-in-charge Tom Loring, AIA. “We are delighted to be able to help Genzyme realize its goals to create highly developed bio-science facilities in an environmentally sustainable fashion.”