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As a return to the office becomes imminent for many, CFOs must determine what it will take to make the workspace feel safe for employees. The pandemic-mandated shift to remote work has forever changed how we do business by encouraging CFOs and leadership teams to rethink physical office spaces.
The question remains: to what extent will these changes linger once we settle into a “new normal”? Click Here For Article
According to the CBRE Q3 Cambridge Lab MarketView report, “the impact of COVID on office market demand has resulted in nearly every building owner evaluating whether a portion or all of their buildings can be converted to lab.” From a design perspective, these lab conversions pose an interesting set of challenges, particularly in an industry like life sciences where researchers might be doing anything from theoretical research on how to make a new salad dressing to developing prototypes for gene therapy.
By Imran Khan, Associate Principal and Director of Science at Margulies Perruzzi.
Read full article here.
New design delivers efficient space utilization and flexible floor-plan that reflects how work is performed now and in the future
BOSTON, Dec. 8, 2020 — Margulies Perruzzi (MP), one of New England’s most innovative architectural and interior design firms, announced today that it has completed the renovation of John Snow Inc.’s 63,000 SF corporate headquarters at 44 Farnsworth St. in the Fort Point Channel neighborhood.
John Snow Inc. (JSI) is a global public health consulting organization dedicated to improving the health of individuals and communities and to providing an environment where people of passion can pursue this cause.
Located on seven floors of the brick and beam, loft-style building, JSI’s space was dominated. by shared offices along the perimeter walls and long hallways, with a limited number of conference rooms on the inside space.
To make better use of the space, Margulies Perruzzi consolidated the company’s footprint from seven to six floors by creating a more efficient layout with a flexible floor-plan aimed at improving the work environment for the staff. The firm reduced the number and size of the private offices and stressed shared spaces. Conference rooms range in size from small huddle rooms for one to two people to meet or to hold conference calls; team rooms for four to six people which offer traditional conference room layouts as well as informal casual seating; medium conference rooms with both seated and standing options; and large conference rooms with mobile furniture to accommodate a variety of uses.
Margulies Perruzzi determined the appropriate size and configuration for new workstations which are now height adjustable with personal storage and monitor stands for employees. They are positioned to encourage connection between the staff and to access natural light and exterior views. Clusters of bench seating were installed on different floors to provide temporary seating for interns or traveling staff. A new centrally located break area was created on one floor that could comfortably accommodate large groups. Other floors feature program spaces like collaboration nooks or the workout room to encourage employees to meet on or go to other floors to increase interaction among staff.
“Margulies Perruzzi captured our vision and created a space that is light-filled, flexible, and modern,” said Alex Baker, chief operating officer at JSI. “The design team created a warm environment featuring jewel tones and elements of nature, and our new office space adds to the overall experience for our employees.”
The project team included:
About Margulies Perruzzi
As one of New England’s top architectural and interior design firms, Margulies Perruzzi (MP) designs Workplace, Health, Science, and Real Estate projects that inspire and nurture human endeavor. More information may be found at https://mparchitectsboston.com.
Media Contact:
Susan Shelby, FSMPS, CPSM
Rhino PR
978.985.4541
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SOURCE Margulies Perruzzi
Passive House and WELL AP certifications reflect firm’s commitment to ongoing professional development and technical excellence
BOSTON – November 18, 2020 – Margulies Perruzzi (MP), one of New England’s most innovative architectural and interior design firms, announced today that Saul Accetta, AIA, LEED AP ID+C has become a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC) and Kara McGuane, IIDA, NCIDQ has earned her WELL Accredited Professional (AP) certification.
“Margulies Perruzzi has a long history of supporting the professional development of our teams and staying current with emerging technologies in order to better serve our clients,” said Daniel P. Perruzzi, Jr., AIA, LEED AP, principal and senior partner at Margulies Perruzzi. “Saul and Kara’s pursuit of a specialized certification shows their dedication to the craft of architecture and interior design. We congratulate them on this professional achievement.”
Saul Accetta, AIA, LEED AP ID+C, CPHC ~ Senior Architect
According to Passive House Massachusetts, Passive House is a voluntary international building standard developed by the Passive House Institute (PHI), located in Darmstadt, Germany. The Passive House Standard is composed of several strict performance requirements for new building construction. The resulting performance produces approximately a 90% reduction in heating and cooling energy usage and up to a 75% reduction in primary energy usage compared to structures built to conventional building codes. Passive House significantly reduces the carbon footprint while making a comfortable, healthy, and affordable environment.
A senior architect with over 17 years of experience, Saul has worked on a range of project types, including R&D facilities, corporate headquarters, and office spaces with training centers.
He earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the Boston Architectural College and was a founding member of the Massachusetts Trans Political Coalition.
Kara McGuane, IIDA, NCIDQ, WELL AP ~ Senior Interior Designer
Developed by Green Building Certification Inc. (GBCI) in collaboration with the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the WELL AP signifies advanced knowledge in human health and wellness in the built environment, and specialization in the WELL Building Standard. The cutting-edge WELL Building Standard is the leading global rating system and the first to be focused exclusively on the way that buildings, and everything in them, can improve our comfort, drive better choices, and generally enhance, not compromise, our health and wellness.
With over a decade of experience working on projects for corporate, retail, and higher education clients, Kara holds a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design with a concentration in Sustainability from Endicott College. She is an active member of the New England chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).
About Margulies Perruzzi
As one of New England’s top architectural and interior design firms, Margulies Perruzzi (MP) designs Workplace, Health, Science, and Real Estate projects that inspire and nurture human endeavor. More information may be found at https://mparchitectsboston.com.
Seaport District location provides flexible modern space
Margulies Perruzzi (MP), one of New England’s most innovative architectural and interior design firms, announced today that it has completed a new 9,595 SF headquarters in Boston’s Seaport District for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.
The updated space is designed to allow for flexibility to maximize the usability of the space available. The suite at 9 Channel Center utilized movable walls between all conference rooms, allowing for reconfiguration depending on need, maximizing square footage. The space also features a large conference room with a moveable wall that allows the space to convert into an even larger space open for volunteer opportunities with their community partners or event staging space.
“It was clear that we needed a headquarters that addresses the demands of an organization that no longer requires a centralized location for its workforce,” said Bob Giannino, president and CEO at United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. “The historical brick and industrial mix design reflect United Way’s grounded, foundational role in the community yet also signals that we are an innovative organization that adapts to respond to current issues and needs in the community. Our new location s bright, energizing, and efficient while at the same time providing the flexibility our staff, volunteers, community members and corporate partners need to keep pace in today’s shifting environment.”
United Way of Massachusetts Bay’s mission is to create positive, lasting change for those in need by harnessing the power of people working together. It achieves its mission by mobilizing people, businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies, neighborhoods and focuses to create better lives for those it serves in Eastern Massachusetts, Southeastern New Hampshire, and Maine.
United Way’s powerful network has the depth and scale to help ensure families have safe, affordable housing, jobs that allow them to support themselves, and access to financial tools and coaching to help build a better future, Recognizing that educational success is a strategy to break the cycle of poverty, United Way is also focused on preparing young children to enter school, providing critical social and emotional skills and ensuring youth have the support they need to stay in school and graduate.
Margulies Perruzzi strategically designed the regional headquarters to reflect the United Way’s culture and branding while preserving the character of the former industrial building. The design includes bold colorful accents while staying true to historic elements such as exposed brick and beam. Margulies Perruzzi worked closely with the United Way to provide a variety of work settings that would best support the work style of their employees, including sit-to-stand workstations, open and enclosed huddle spaces, individual phone rooms, and a multi-purpose employee hub. Technology was integrated into all these work settings to maximize functionality.
The construction team was careful to retain and reuse materials to preserve capital for the nonprofit while creating high-quality, collaborative workspace that supports internal workflow and events with their community partners.
The project team includes:
About Margulies Perruzzi
As one of New England’s top architectural and interior design firms, Margulies Perruzzi (MP) designs Workplace, Health+Science, and Real Estate projects that inspire and nurture human endeavor. More information may be found at https://mparchitectsboston.com
Expanded access for behavioral health services to address shortages in treatment options
Margulies Perruzzi (MP), one of New England’s most innovative architectural and interior design firms, announced today that it has completed the expansion and repositioning of two behavioral healthcare units at the Sanford Medical Center (formerly the Goodall Hospital) for Southern Maine Health Care. The grand opening took place on October 20th. Please click here to view a video courtesy of SMHC about the new behavioral healthcare units.
Southern Maine Health Care, in partnership with Maine Behavioral Healthcare, engaged Margulies Perruzzi and Array Architects to renovate a 24,000 SF unit, creating 40 new beds across two floors, and to design a five-bed Emergency Department Acute Psychiatric (EDAP) unit. This project triples the number of short stay behavioral healthcare beds available in York County, Maine.
“Behavioral health design requires a deep level of both experience and empathy. Margulies Perruzzi worked closely with our staff – both clinical and facilities – to ensure we were able to stay within our budget and yet deliver a high-quality space for our patients,” said Nathan Howell, president of Southern Maine Health Care.
Partnering with Array Architects, a leader in healthcare planning and design, Margulies Perruzzi focused on incorporating as much access to daylight and nature as possible to leverage its clinical benefits. The team collaborated to situate activity rooms and common areas along the exterior walls of the building to bring in natural light and views of the Maine landscape for both patient and staff areas. Windows were maintained at patient areas while safety glass and borrowed light concepts were used to bring daylight deeper into the building. Art highlighting nature is incorporated at various seating areas throughout the unit to bring nature inside the building.
“The design team did a great job of listening to how we care for our patients and how we would be using the space. The new units will allow us to deliver a higher level of care to behavioral health patients,” said Diane Mankus, RN, senior director of behavioral health services at Southern Maine Health Care.
The new inpatient unit is secured with access through an interlocking sally port and features 20 double occupancy rooms, each with its own bathroom. To ensure the safety of patients, each room is designed to minimize ligature risk to provide both privacy and safety. Anti-ligature fixtures were used in the bathrooms and bedrooms as well as vandal proof ceilings. The design team used institutional materials with a residential look and feel to help reduce stress by providing a home-like feel for patients on the unit.
Each floor has a clinical support area with rooms designated for common dining, noisy activity, quiet activity, group therapy/multi-purpose, and private consultations with clinicians. The program accommodated a calming room on each floor that allows agitated patients a quiet area to self-calm through tactile work surface, reduced lighting levels, and reduction in both audio and visual distractions. This de-escalation space helps reduce the need for restraints or a seclusion room.
A centralized staff area provides a variety of open and closed work areas for staff. An open nurse station on the inpatient floors removes barriers between patients and staff. An enclosed private staff area can be used for charting, phone calls, and private clinical discussions.
The design team leveraged new highly efficient and anti-ligature chilled beams to heat and cool the two floors, utilizing existing duct work to maintain existing ceiling heights, and removing the prior fan coil units at the perimeter windows to address patient safety concerns.
The Emergency Department Acute Psychiatric (EDAP) suite is a five-bed assessment area located off the Emergency Department (ED). Designed as the first step in the behavioral health admissions process once patients are medically cleared in the ED, the EDAP includes five patient rooms with a toilet and shower as well as a place to store their belongings while they are being evaluated. Designed around a small common area, the circular design allows clear visibility from the nursing station. The EDAP is located directly adjacent to the security office of the hospital for emergencies.
The project team includes:
For many years, Boston has been the world leader in the life science industry, with startups and global giants alike competing for talent, as well as real estate. Last year, a report from commercial brokerage firm CBRE ranked the area as the number one destination for recent graduates interested in the field, as well as first in funding from the National Institutes of Health. It also ranked the region second in total sciences employees, right behind San Francisco.
Read the full article featured in High Profile Monthly.
By Steve Adams | Banker & Tradesman Staff | Oct 18, 2020 |
Nathan Turner
Senior Project Manager and Associate Partner, Margulies Perruzzi
Age: 44
Industry experience: 22 years
Nate Turner recently marked his 22nd anniversary at Boston-based Margulies Perruzzi Architects (MPA). In recent years he’s specialized in repurposing brick-and-beam properties in neighborhoods including the Seaport District, updating historic structures for the 21st century economy. Turner’s recent projects include repositioning of three buildings on Farnsworth Street and Thomson Place with new ground-floor retail and windows, and updates to 10 and 20 Channel Center including new tenant amenities and branding materials.
Q: How did you address historic preservation guidelines when adding ground-floor retail to the Thomson Place property?
A: We saw an opportunity to connect the historic thoroughfare of Congress Street with Seaport Boulevard and have Thomson Place be a prime connector. Part of the success of what we’ve been able to do so far is we’ve worked well with the Landmarks Commission starting from the place of what’s important to them. Instead of creating an uphill struggle, let’s focus on the historic elements that are desirable and build off that rather than creating something new.
How do you take a building with small window openings while trying to maximize glass for shoppers? For Thomson Place, it was trying to accentuate the arches that had been modified over the years and restore it to its rightful condition. But also taking a look at the sidewalks, the widths of those and understanding where the curb cuts and ramps are, making them pedestrian-friendly. On the finishing touches, it’s bumping out the sidewalks. We don’t want cars zooming up and down the street.
Q: What are the sweet spots in building sizes, heights and unit count that lend themselves well to cross-laminated timber construction?
A: There are provisions in the building code that allow you to use it as a structural element, but there are forthcoming code changes that allow you to build up to 10 stories. In a recent project on A Street, we added a 2-story addition to a historical structure. It’s lighter in load than steel or concrete, and the same level of construction without impacting the building as much. Someone trying to do a 15-story building in Boston
might come up with some hurdles, because they would be on the leading edge of the code updates.
The 2021 code changes will allow uses in taller and bigger structures and more applications. You might see the introduction of CLT fire stairs. They might have to be clad with materials, but the more you can use heavy timber, the more they can be fastened in an interconnected way, which would lead to improved construction times. When you’re dealing with mechanical fasteners and just one trade, that’s different than having a steel fabricator and having to stop for the welding and cure the concrete and do it layer by layer.
Q: Have you received requests to do office retrofits during COVID-19?
A: It’s kind of a blessing and a curse. This is a great opportunity for deferred maintenance projects or overall master planning and capital improvements. When you have lower occupancy in a building, that means fewer hurdles and headaches. The biggest challenge is just financing and that’s going to vary from owner to owner. Everyone’s trying to look at the glass as half full and saying they can take advantage of the downturn, and the labor force may be more available to deal with these projects. There may be more competitive bidding or less downtime.
In tenant spaces, it’s a similar mindset, but implemented differently with a certain amount of uncertainty about what the next three months will bring. We’ve seen a lot of tenants say, “OK, we have to do something. What are the simpler things we can do right away that are low-cost and high-impact?” Signage, sanitizing stations, that’s the easy stuff. Anybody can do it at low cost. But when you think about furniture
panels, spacing of rooms, updating office floor plans, you start getting into operational questions. People have questions. Do I need to have the conversation with the landlord about the HVAC system and how late my air stays on at night? There’s a good-better-best solution.
Q: As Boston prepares a new coastal resiliency zoning overlay, what do developers need to know about best practices in floodproofing?
A: As a coastal city, we will not be the only ones dealing with this. Venice continues to be the bellwether for a lot of us. There are a lot of similarities. Boston has done a great job of creating a resiliency group that’s looking at measurable goals by 2030 and understands the risks, looking at vulnerable areas that are landmarks or neighborhoods. We’re trying to be proactive, but the solutions are not easy. It’s hard to
implement across the city in a budget-friendly manner. No matter what you do, there’s going to be a weak link.
Q: Is the above-ground podium the current preferred option for parking in multifamily projects?
A: Some of it depends on the soil conditions and where the water tables are, but I’ve seen some projects look at parking as a buffer between a ground-level use and the floors above. But you’re trading some real estate from an investment perspective. What I’ve been hearing over the last year or so is the city is trying to process what the right ratios are going forward. If it’s for a building where the demographic is predominantly college students, [some developers are] looking whether to repurpose the garage into additional living units. If they’re renovating, it’s a great time to reclaim some square-footage.
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