Elkus Manfredi Architects designed 150 Second Street lab awarded LEED-CS v3 Platinum

The new three-story research laboratory building located at 150 Second St. has been awarded LEED-CS v3 Platinum Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). According to Chris Schaffner of The Green Engineer, 150 Second St. is the first commercial lab project certified Platinum under LEED v3 in New England. Elkus Manfredi Architects provided core and shell design services for the 108,000 s/f facility in Kendall Sq. The building features several sustainability strategies, including a heat recovery loop, extensive solar control and daylighting controls, and an innovative structural design that uses steel trusses to reduce the building's weight and cost. High-performance HVAC systems produce more than 30% energy cost savings over a baseline reference. An extensive community-based planning process guided the selection of materials, building massing, and ample green space, resulting in optimum contextual design within the surrounding neighborhood. Team members included: Skanska USA Commercial Development (client), WSP Group (MEP/FP), The Green Engineer (sustainability), Nitsch Engineering (civil), Copley Wolff Design Group(landscape), McNamara/Salvia (structural), RDK Engineers (commissioning). Lerch Bates (vertical transportation), Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (building enclosure), LAM Partners (lighting), Hughes Associates (code), and Skanska USA Building (construction manager). The building's diverse palette features glass, metal, and glass fiber-reinforced cementitious panels to break down the mass into three discrete volumes. The entry court at the corner of Second and Bent Streets acts as an exterior "room" defined by the building façade, paving, and low walls, all interspersed with abundant greenscaping. The building is 85% leased. Foundation Medicine, Inc., a molecular information company occupies approximately half the building. bluebird bio, a clinical-stage biotechnology company will occupy the third floor beginning in January 2014.