Work Category v2: Workplaces

Massachusetts Biotechnology Council’s (MassBio) mission is to advance Massachusetts’ leadership in the life sciences, grow the industry, add value to the healthcare system, and improve patient lives. MassBio represents the premier global life sciences and healthcare hub, with 1,600+ members dedicated to preventing, treating, and curing diseases through transformative science and technology that brings value and hope to patients.

TRIA was selected to design its MassBioHub, a unique conference and business center in the heart of Kendall Square.  With two floors, this new headquarters required state-of-the-art meeting areas that boasted versatility for groups of up to 150 to suit any member’s needs, from a 2-person staff huddle to full-scale conferences and corporate events. Designed to support networking opportunities, the space features multiple communal areas and an interconnecting staircase between the two floors, while a selection of private offices supports business needs.

After completing initial test fits, TRIA provided architectural services for biotech firm Flagship Pioneering’s Science Hotel project. As an organization that resources and builds life sciences companies to invent breakthrough technologies, the 33,500 SF incubator space was designed to maximize efficiency and innovation. TRIA fit out five suites for approximately 125 employees at One Kendall Square, a mixed-use facility that houses other notable life sciences firms. Flagship’s facilities consist of wet lab space with tissue culture suites, lab support including a central autoclave and glass wash, amenities, and office areas. TRIA balanced the lab space with bright and inviting amenity spaces, such as convertible conference spaces and multi-functional meeting points.

Akouos is a precision genetic medicine company focused on developing gene therapies with the potential to restore, improve, and preserve hi-acuity physiologic hearing for people worldwide who live with disabling hearing loss.

Shortly after its founding, Akous was in need of a strategic workspace to develop its therapies.  TRIA worked closely with the Akouos leadership to determine the present and future needs of the space for its first initial design. Later, TRIA fine-tuned the design during construction once scientists and other staff were brought on board. The result is a noteworthy blend of function and form, making full use of the building’s high ceilings and stunning views. The office area is open, allowing the light to penetrate evenly throughout the space. The lab includes an Animal Care Facility (ACF), tissue culture rooms, open lab space, a small freezer farm, and cold rooms.

Syros Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing new standards of care for the frontline treatment of hematologic malignancies, needed a new corporate headquarters with a design that highlighted their three core principles: hope, health, and growth.

TRIA designed this one floor to function as a culture-centric space that supports innovation and collaboration. Large windows and an open floor plan draw natural light through the space, symbolizing hope. The repeated use of natural materials such as sealed concrete, wood, linoleum, and a living wall are reflections of health. An uninterrupted path of wood features creates a seamless flow through the office and lab, allowing for free movement and unhindered growth. Ultimately, the space was designed to remind employees of the profound impact their research has on the patients and to keep them focused on the goal of changing lives for the better.

2020 IIDA New England Design Award Winner in the Research Lab category!

Generation Bio, a biotechnology company innovating genetic medicines for people living with rare and prevalent diseases, needed a new headquarters that would provide an employee-focused and collaborative workspace.  An open, light-filled environment without enclosed offices is achieved by utilizing glass walls allowing natural light into every lab space, offering visual continuity and transparency between the office and labs.

The office is organized into six distinct neighborhoods, each divided by a central collaboration zone of technology-enabled conference rooms, seating areas, and phone booths. To accelerate the company’s interaction and scientific collaboration, bench seating in each neighborhood is arranged in cross-functional teams based on project focus. Our design team included a reflection area that provides a quiet, art-filled space for time away from team-oriented work. In addition, several photo walls with portraits of children and families affected by rare diseases offer a daily reminder of Generation Bio’s mission.

Designed for employee comfort and productivity, the new headquarters also provides flexible space for future headcount growth.

TRIA more than doubled its office space in Boston’s Innovation and Design Building (IDB) to accommodate its 50+ employees and allow room for future new hires. TRIA has taken 11,700 SF of additional space adjacent to its existing office on the third floor to support its continued growth.

The expansion features a larger reception and a kitchen that doubles as an all-hands meeting room. In addition,  teams can collaborate in two distinct open office neighborhood work zones, each equipped with small huddle rooms that allow teams to privately meet. The stripped-back industrial features, such as structural beams and a large original now decorative loading door, remind employees to employ creative solutions when improving a tenant’s existing conditions.  Likewise, the building’s impressive-sized pillars that run throughout the IDB became a functional focal point by wrapping them in shelving to house TRIA’s extensive materials library, encouraging cross-office collaboration and interaction. Large windows throughout allow light to penetrate the entire office and give the staff glimpses of the active cruise terminal just yards away. All desks are sit-to-stand, and the office design allows for flexible seating in addition to standard permanent seating.

Ipsen, a global mid-size biopharmaceutical company, focuses on transformative medicines in three key therapeutic areas: oncology, rare disease and neuroscience. When relocating its US headquarters from New Jersey to Cambridge, MA, TRIA was tasked with renovating the new headquarters while simultaneously renovating the company’s nearby research & development facility.

Our architects and designers created spaces that serve Ipsen’s employees’ flexible and collaborative nature, whether in the lab or office. With an organic layout, fluid transitions, and a multitude of different ways to work, TRIA prioritized giving every employee an option best suited for their day’s work.

After evaluating workflows, Ipsen now utilizes assigned neighborhoods that offer open seating. Each neighborhood has access to lockers and designated conference rooms and space for private phone calls. Coffee and water bars in between areas encourage inter-neighborhood collaboration with technological access at any given point to continue an organic workflow.

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals is a leading gastrointestinal (GI) healthcare company on a mission to advance the treatment of GI diseases and redefine the standard of care for GI patients. Patient-focused, they needed architectural services from a design firm that could provide creative solutions in keeping their new headquarters feel unified and their mission front and center.

Sourcing inspiration from Ironwood’s name, TRIA’s design melds industrial and organic architectural elements to foster a bold, yet meaningful ‘can do’ environment.  Fun yet informative graphics and company branding are leveraged throughout the open-concept office space to raise awareness of the GI medical conditions that the company’s medicines are designed to treat. Embracing different ways of working together, the staff can settle into a number of different neighborhoods. Wooden millwork elements and soft seating serve as room dividers for several collaboration areas or private, head-down work.  All spaces are intended to foster an atmosphere of trust and cooperation across all teams.

TRIA’s holistic approach to PureTech Health’s new headquarters at Innovation Square (iSQ) in Boston’s Seaport district creates a workspace with a seamless connection between lab and office. By incorporating an abundance of glass walls to convey light and transparency, visitors are welcomed with a view into the lab to witness the discoveries taking place there. The design of the space is dramatic and sophisticated featuring dark exposed ceilings, brick columns, deep grey walls. A centrally located café provides an outdoor garden experience with mossy wallcoverings and light fixtures resembling lanterns. Nearby, the staircase connecting PureTech’s two floors is a focal point of the space with rope-like features surrounding the open stair. Coinciding with the breathtaking design of the office and amenity spaces, all-black casework provides PureTech’s open lab with a stand-out design that is unique for the industry.