INTEGRATED RESEARCH AND SUSTAINABILITY

LEED Platinum Certified and one of the most energy efficient academic cleanrooms in the United States—and a recent COTE Top Ten award winner—HGA’s design team implemented an integrated sustainability approach at MIT.nano.  The design approach included community engagement, a focus on water conservation and stormwater management, resiliency in anticipating flooding and program changes, wellness, and safety of all users, especially within the hazardous environment of a cleanroom.

Considered more accessible than any comparable facility in the world, MIT.nano features a glass veil that selectively cloaks and reveals what is behind. The transparency of the glass provides those walking outside with clear views into the research activities while providing natural daylight and views to the outside for the researchers inside the building. The building design strategically locates meeting spaces and informal gathering moments on every level to foster collaboration. Open stairs connect people vertically, while links to adjacent buildings occur on every floor. The outdoor campus spaces – North Corridor and Improbability Walk – transform the precinct into an inviting pedestrian, universally accessible, and bicycle friendly neighborhood while giving glimpses of the research within.