Laboratory/office Completed 2012 100,000 square feet $30 million
THE CHALLENGE This development project was part of a planned technology park. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) wanted to support its programs with a building that would attract companies in the biotech and life sciences industries. The unusual challenge, then, was to build state-of-the-art laboratory facilities on spec – the labs would have to be flexible enough to meet the specialized needs of diverse potential tenants. In addition, WPI wanted to comply with US Green Building Council Guidelines.
THE ODG APPROACH We first defined the needs of the biotech and life sciences market. The attendant design challenges included, for example, the fact that laboratory air cannot be recirculated. We offset the inefficiency of exhausting so much air with state-of-the-art energy-saving features, such as energy recovery ventilation (ERV). To realize the project, we hired the architect and engineers and built the facility on time and on budget in partnership with our affiliated construction company, Daniel O’Connell’s Sons.
RESULTS
Despite the speculative nature of this project, the result was LEED-certified building that was fully occupied within 12 months by a combination of class A office, biotech, and life science tenants.
