Ó³»­´«Ã½

Image courtesy of Anton Grassl

The architectural team that designed the Ó³»­´«Ã½â€™s 7 Cambridge Center building has received high honors in R&D Magazine’s 2007 Laboratory of the Year competition, one of the foremost international design contests for research laboratories. The award acknowledges the work of Elkus Manfredi Architects, with Maryann Thompson Associates and Signer Harris Architects, to design a research space that boldly reflects the Ó³»­´«Ã½â€™s scientific and organizational missions.

The Ó³»­´«Ã½ building was selected for its state-of-the-art design — one centered on the principles of transparency, collaboration and openness. Other winners include Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s new Janelia Farm Research Campus, two new laboratories at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and a new biomedical sciences building at the University of Pittsburgh.

As the Ó³»­´«Ã½ unites diverse scientific disciplines and institutions, it requires a working environment that can transcend traditional boundaries. The design of its newest building fulfills this need through the use of glass to partition interior offices and conference rooms; the designation of large, open laboratory spaces that can be readily adapted to meet changing research needs; and the allocation of shared gathering spaces to promote interactions among scientific groups.

But the Cambridge Center building was designed to do more than meet the Ó³»­´«Ã½â€™s scientific needs. It is also serves the surrounding community. A 280-seat auditorium serves as a venue for events, many of which are open to the public. And the ground-floor lobby — made visible to the public through its large paned-glass windows — is now being transformed into an interactive science museum, which will communicate recent advances in genomic science.

The architects and engineers who contributed to the award-winning design and construction of the Ó³»­´«Ã½â€™s Cambridge Center building include: architects Elkus Manfredi Architects; laboratory planner AHSC McLellan Copenhagen; programming architects Wilson Architects; conceptual and schematic design architects Maryann Thompson Architects and Signer Harris Architects; mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection engineers BR+A Consulting Engineers; structural engineers McNamara/Salvia; and construction management John Moriarty & Associates.