Watertown, MA
500 Forge
Scope/Solutions
The two-story building at 500 Forge Road was originally constructed for the U.S. Army Arsenal in the 1940s and served as a warehouse with high‑capacity floors, tall stories, and closely spaced columns. Its original design called for a one-story vertical addition that was never constructed. After the U.S. Army decommissioned the building in the 1980s, it underwent several renovations, including converting portions to commercial uses with a semi-enclosed parking garage. As part of the mixed-use Arsenal Yards development, Boylston Properties wanted to repurpose and reposition the existing building to create 160,000 sq ft of life science laboratory and office space. SGH provided structural engineering consulting services for the renovation and additions.
SGH performed a detailed condition assessment of the reinforced concrete, flat slab structure to determine if the proposed program—converting much of the original open parking areas into enclosed office and laboratory space—was feasible. We designed concrete repairs throughout the building and new structural components, including:
- A new precast concrete parking deck and external ramps at the rear of the building
- A one-story, steel-framed vertical addition supporting an enclosed mechanical penthouse and a large, exterior equipment platform with a 15 ft cantilevered screen wall
- New elevator hoistways and stair openings
- An entry vestibule and canopy
- Feature balconies overlooking Arsenal Street
- Floor openings for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and data distribution
- A new loading dock and large earth retaining walls
- Sloped concrete toppings to improve drainage in the parking areas
SGH subsequently provided structural engineering services to support fitouts for several life sciences tenants. The laboratory programs for these spaces include wet labs, tissue culture rooms, support spaces, a vivarium, and flex laboratory/sublease space.
Project Summary
2026
300k Including parking and mechanical spaces
Key team members
