Boylston Properties | 300 Forge Road
Capstone Lab Building for Vibrant Mixed-Use District
This highly sustainable lab building will contribute to the growing life sciences hub in Watertown and complete the development of Arsenal Yards, a dynamic mix of commercial, residential and retail uses. Situated along a beautiful stretch of the Charles River, the project will replace an underutilized surface parking lot with a new six-story lab building and riverfront park. The public realm experience is enhanced by improved site circulation patterns, shared-use paths, a community dog park, and lush plantings.
Programmatically, the project solves a complicated puzzle by weaving together below-grade and podium-level parking, public-facing amenities, a robust back-of-house zone, and Class A tenant space on a highly constrained site with significant grade change. Optimized floor plates and structural bay spacing create flexibility for lab planning and tenanting requirements.
Site sensitivity was critical to the building’s massing and material strategy which seeks to knit the project into its natural landscape. Step-backs and carve-outs break down the volume, pull the building’s mass away from the river and create occupiable terraces at every level. Greenery steps up the building facade in the form of green roofs and landscaped terraces. A palette of natural materials such as wood and terracotta ground the building in the landscape and pay homage to the site’s industrial history as an arsenal in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The building is designed to comply with the demanding performance requirements of Massachusetts’ opt-in Specialized Stretch Energy Code. The design includes a robust mechanical penthouse sized for a future heat pump farm to support conversion to all-electric building systems, and a highly efficient building envelope. Other sustainable features include significant stormwater improvements, increased open space and tree canopy, reduced heat island effect and optimal solar orientation.