Transforming a Former Postal Facility into a World-Class cGMP Development and Manufacturing Facility

by Jeff Kent POST at 200 Smith Street in Waltham, Mass. is a former U.S. post office repositioned into a 430,000sf office and lab building on a 36-acre campus. DPS Group and TRIA designed a new development and cGMP manufacturing facility for ElevateBio, a technology-driven company focused on powering cell and gene therapies for the…

Optimizing Space Requirements for Cell Therapy Manufacturing

Designs Deliver Millions in Cost Savings By Ankur Shah According to the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio) 2022 Industry Snapshot, venture capital funding of the biopharma industry remained strong in 2022 with the first six months of the year boasting $5 billion invested in Massachusetts-headquartered biopharma companies. The strength of the Massachusetts early-stage ecosystem has translated…

Reducing Risk: Crack the Code for Lab Control Areas

Combustible Mix of Materials Requires Fire-Safe Designs By Jess Hamilton, Project Manager, Margulies Perruzzi Control areas are a tool to compartmentalize a lab building so that the amount of chemicals being used is code compliant, and if a fire occurs, its spread can be minimized. Multiple control areas are desirable in both new and existing…

Lab Planning 101: Avoid Nightmare Scenarios in a Lab Buildout

 CRE Industry Taps Life Science Talent Pool for Expertise By RJ Panzo, Senior Vice President, Life Sciences, Cresa Rapid innovation in the life sciences has driven the need for many different types of labs and technical spaces. Where standard chemistry and biology labs could once accommodate most processes, the rise of cell/gene therapies, RNAi, protein…

What Buyers of New Construction Are Really Looking For

Multifamily, Single-Family, Empty-Nester Buyers Have Different Tastes By Diandra DiBiase, Senior Development Manager at DiBiase Homes Home ownership has been a fundamental component of the American dream since the end of World War II, when Levitt & Sons introduced tract housing to accommodate returning veterans flush with VA and FHA-backed loans. The best defense a…

Modular Microhousing Can Combat the Homelessness Crisis

But Massachusetts Needs to Remove Hurdles to Construction by Marc Margulies, FAIA, LEED AP and Joe Flynn “Housing First” is a proven strategy in the nationwide fight to solve the seemingly intractable problem of homelessness. People are assisted to locate housing first, without preconditions around compliance, and then are engaged to address other issues in…

Specifying Healthy Building Materials in School Design and Construction

by Tina Stanislaski A pilot program by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) was launched with the objective of reducing toxic chemicals found in common building materials and furnishings that have been linked to human health issues, including cancer. Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School, a $305 million, 410,000sf facility that will open to grades 9-12 in…