Ten years after MP provided design services for Forrester’s 120,000 square foot headquarters in Cambridge, MA, their lease was expiring as they required more space. MP designed a new workplace strategy and assisted in selecting a new site for the company to continue its growth. Ultimately, the decision was made to move to a “build-to-suit” location where they could customize a six-story, 186,000 square foot building to accommodate their needs.
Forrester has a unique culture: there is not a single private office in the entire company. Everyone works in open “pods”: communities of low, flexible workstations defined by the placement of “team rooms” and other community spaces. All conference rooms are named for Rock ‘n Roll stars, with all floors themed by decade. Significant emphasis is placed on ready access to video conferencing and other audio-visual resources, as everyone works on a laptop and work is done wherever it is most efficiently accomplished – not just at the individual’s desk.
Forrester Research’s personality pervades the space. MP created a dramatic staircase and reception atrium to support Forrester’s goal of promoting a collaborative and enlivened atmosphere.
Sustainability
This project is certified LEED-Gold.
Award-Winner
IFMA Boston Awards of Excellence | Best Practice Award of Excellence
Boston Scientific engaged Margulies Perruzzi to assist with the evaluation of its existing headquarters location, and to develop a recommendation about staying or relocating. After an extensive programming effort, which included interviews with all members of senior leadership and due diligence on numerous alternatives, BSC decided to add a new corporate headquarters building to its existing campus in Marlborough, MA. One of the existing floors was fully renovated as a pilot project to test the new BSC space standards intended for use in the new headquarters and around the world.
The new four-story building consists of 110,000 square feet of offices, workstations, training rooms, and collaboration areas, all connected via an enclosed glass walkway to one of the existing buildings. The two-story lobby is heavily branded with dynamically presented information about BSC, and the “innovation café” is directly adjacent to the lobby to encourage casual collaboration. The training center is accessed from a glass-walled gallery looking into a landscaped courtyard, allowing small meetings or casual outdoor relaxation. The location of the new building was selected so that a courtyard between the new and existing buildings could become a series of outdoor rooms and meeting areas, accessible to and linking all four buildings.
The increased staff size on the campus necessitated upgrading the cafeteria, as well as the creation of a new fitness and daycare center.
When Boston Scientific decided to transform this underutilized and dated building overlooking the Neponset River in Quincy, they engaged MP to transform it into a state-of-the-art shipping and distribution center. The facility is complete with office and conference spaces, a full suite of corporate amenities, including a fitness center, full-service corporate café, and an expansive roof deck overlooking the river and with stunning views to downtown Boston. The dated building exterior was replaced with sleek, energy-efficient metal panel and ribbon window.
The distribution center has been carefully configured to support their specific lines and processes. The center, which operates 24 hours a day, connects the leading medical device manufacturer to their clients worldwide.
“As worldwide demand for medical devices grows, the expansion and modernization of our global logistics center is an important milestone,” said Paul Donhauser, vice president of global real estate, facilities operations, and environment, health, and safety at Boston Scientific. “This modern and energy-efficient building is part of a multi-phased approach to bring our global facilities in line with the company’s evolution and business goals. Since collaborating on the design and workplace strategy of our new global headquarters in Marlborough, MP has been a vital partner in evaluating real estate choices and advising our global real estate and facilities team.”
Sustainability
This project is LEED-certified.
Award-Winner
Corenet New England Awards of Excellence | Commendation for Sustainability
Accessible Design Award | The MA Architectural Access Board (AAB) and the Boston Society of Architects (BSA)
When health insurer BCBSMA purchased this 1980’s-era office building in 2004, the property didn’t come close to meeting current standards for workspace design and accessibility.
MP provided design services for the complete renovation of the building and site, including a new 1,300-car parking structure, on-site childcare center and cafeteria.
In addition to meeting its associates’ business needs, BCBSMA was also committed to reducing the environmental impact of the renovation project and the building’s ongoing operation.
MP provided design services for a pharmaceutical client who occupies space in Cambridge, MA. MP completed the space programming of their 115,000 SF of offices and assisted in decommissioning the existing lab spaces on the third floor. The client wanted the open office areas to feel like small neighborhoods and more natural light into these areas. MP designed smaller open office areas along the windows and incorporated more collaborative spaces throughout. The collaborative spaces include different sizes of conference rooms, huddle rooms, and quiet rooms.
MP collaborated with Columbia Construction for a multi-phase design & construction process. Phase 1 which included the third floor was completed in December 2020. Phases 2 & 3 are to be completed by 2023.
Award-Winner
Awards of Excellence: Best New Workplace | CoreNet Global New England
Illumination Award | Illuminating Engineering Society of New England
Award of Excellence | IFMA Boston
Inspired by the design of their home office in the Netherlands, Philips North America decided in the fall of 2010 to launch the first Workplace Innovation (WPI) center. Margulies Perruzzi was commissioned to help them realize this dramatic transformation.
The philosophy of “office” was completely transformed – eliminating all standard corporate America constructs. In this interpretation, there are no assigned seats, no offices, and no cubicles. This space methodology was based upon the European concept that today, work can and does occur anywhere and everywhere.
Unlike many projects that rely upon a “program” of needs to define a space, a standard ratio of open and private work settings determines the capacity of any space. The design incorporates a full variety of meeting and working solutions that encourage staff to rethink how and where they work and interact with others. The Phillips WPI was intended to challenge all employees to work in a manner that best suits their own lives.
Sustainability
This project is certified LEED-Gold.
Relocating their global headquarters from 745 Atlantic Avenue to One Federal Street in Boston, Iron Mountain retained MP to design their new global headquarters to cater to their new Mobile Workforce initiative, as well as to increase collaboration, productivity, and wellness.
The design spans two large floorplates, reduces the number of private offices, and keeps perimeter windows open so that all have access to natural light. All offices and conference spaces are located either on the interior or oriented perpendicular to the windows, maximizing natural light and views to the entire office. Lower-paneled workstations are arranged in neighborhoods, encouraging collaboration while avoiding the feel of a large open field of people. Conference space has vastly increased. A key design choice was to cluster conference rooms around oval “nodes,” creating informal break-out spaces separated from work areas. Four-person “huddle rooms” and two-person “nooks” were also created to allow space for smaller, informal collaboration or private conversations that would not tie up larger conference rooms.
One of the benefits of moving from a nine-floor office to a two-floor office is the higher frequency of chance encounters with people in different departments. A dramatic, open staircase was designed connecting the reception area with a café and training center directly below, helping to further enhance opportunities for collaboration.
Margulies Perruzzi provided architectural interior design services for this lab and office tenant fit out project. Strand Therapeutics, an emerging biopharmaceutical company, moved into the first and second floors of 20 Overland Street in the Boston Fenway neighborhood. The 64,000 SF space includes a 60/40 lab/office split. A connection between lab and office is supported by glass walls, allowing a clear visual into the lab from the office, and vice versa.
The open work environment is supported by a variety of meeting room types, phone booths, and work cafe spaces, allowing employees the option to choose the workspace that best supports their needs.
Upon deciding to relocate from Connecticut to the Boston area, FujiFilm’s Medical Division wanted to also create an exciting new “Customer Briefing Center” and technical training facility for its medical imaging systems. Complete with functional X-ray and MRI machinery and demonstration rooms, the intent was to capitalize on the Massachusetts environment of innovation and investment.
Additionally, MP designed a new “innovation center” as a convening space to be part of the scientific community’s ecosystem. Both spaces employed advanced AV systems, bold branding, and highly sophisticated imaging equipment in addition to attractive and functional training and workspaces.
