With a booming demand for Life Sciences spaces, SGA is revolutionizing how these buildings are being designed and built. 

When this leading architecture firm was tasked with creating an effective gateway to the Alexandria Center at Kendall Square - a 2.6 million square foot urban science and technology campus located in the heart of Cambridge, MA - SGA knew it had to take a unique approach. 

The project for Alexandria Real Estate Equities consisted of design, development and construction elements and was geared towards attracting Life Sciences tenants. By employing different service and construction techniques, while thoughtfully incorporating highly-desired elements like built-in-flexibility and high-end amenities, SGA delivered two LEED Gold certified, 10-story, state-of-the-art hybrid laboratory/office buildings at 50 + 60 Binney Street, on time and on budget.

First, SGA implemented Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) - an innovative project delivery method that successfully integrates the design, development and construction teams - at a co-location office adjacent to the construction site. SGA led a collaborative process where SGA’s architects, Turner Construction, major subcontractors, and the client worked together as one team to design and construct the buildings. Together, under SGA’s supervision, all the major trades virtually modeled the building.

50+60 Binney Street was constructed using an “up-down” approach, meaning that the ten above-ground floors were built first, followed by six below-grade parking levels. This strategic technique enables earlier rent commencement for tenants of the building, which is essential to the life sciences market.

In the design process, SGA understood that 50 + 60 Binney had to be an exceedingly flexible space to accommodate changing tenant needs over the lifespan of the buildings. This led SGA to incorporate key elements, like high ceilings, a highly efficient envelope, and a mechanical and electrical core in the center of each floor. 

SGA also built façades consisting of a glass curtain wall that wraps around the front of 50 + 60 Binney, with brick and metal panels on the sides and back. The glass allows sunlight to penetrate deep into the office–lab space. 

Completed in 2018, 50+60 Binney Street is equipped with cutting edge technologies and thoughtful amenities such as cogeneration (an efficient process that generates heat and electricity), LED lighting, electric car charging stations, and bike storage, adding yet another revolutionary Life Sciences project into SGA’s award-winning portfolio.