Posted by Johann Nacario — February 9, 2024 — Boston-based architecture, design and planning firm SGA has announced the completion of a dynamic repositioning project at One Charles Park, located in the growing life science cluster of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
SGA’s dynamic repositioning project at One Charles Park is located in the growing life sciences cluster of Cambridge, MA. Image courtesy of SGA
Delivering 400,000SF of flexible suites across six floors, this fit-out puts interconnectivity and human-centric design at the forefront, embodying the larger market shift toward blending business and science spaces as the life sciences industry becomes more public-facing. Glass partition walls between labs and offices break traditional silos, while aiming to create transparency and advance the discovery pipeline through knowledge-sharing across scientists, operations, and administrative teams.
Inside the labs, mobile benches empower scientists to embark on a wide range of research. Outside the labs, flexible gathering spaces and integrated technologies enable collaboration. Image courtesy of SGA
The footprint for each of the six floors is nearly identical, on average offering 79,000 SF of space. While each suite’s layout, programming, furniture and materials are unique to the tenant’s needs, open floor plans equipped with flexible workstations and integrated technologies are diffused through each.
The focus here revolves around the work completed in each of the state-of-the-art laboratories. Open-floor-plan offices equipped with flexible workstations provide an inherent interconnectivity. Designed to be adaptable — quick in response to market trends and organizational growth — each custom-fit solution provides the occupying life sciences organization with a heightened ability to explore and evolve.
Inside the labs, mobile benches empower scientists to embark on a wide range of research. Outside the labs, flexible gathering space, integrated technologies, and versatile furniture empower scientists to distribute results from their scientific endeavors.
Sightlines carry through from lobbies, to labs, to group and independent workspace before culminating at a fully-accessible wraparound balcony peering out over Cambridge as well as the Somerville and Boston skylines. Image courtesy of SGA
The program along the perimeter of the building was laid out strategically to allow natural daylight to flow throughout the building. Conference rooms, touchdown zones, phone booths, and private offices hug internal walls to take advantage of the natural light pouring in from the perimeter. In conjunction with glass partitions, this also further empowers “science on display.”
Hospitality-inspired cafes, lounges and gathering spots work to transform the adjacent spaces in-between research and lab areas into dynamic opportunity zones for collaboration, while sightlines carry through to a fully-accessible, wrap-around balcony featuring stunning views over Cambridge, Somerville and Boston skylines.
A time tested cornerstone of the corporate community, well-appointed kitchens bring “watercooler talk” into the modern age. Inviting scientists out of the lab — and business people away from their screens — to enjoy moments of camaraderie between progress on the next big breakthrough.
Look for more details and images of the One Charles Park fitout at SGA.
