Cambridge, MA
Scope/Solutions
Occupying a full block in Kendall Square, 75 and 125 Binney Street offer leasable laboratory and office space. The two buildings are primarily clad with grooved precast panels, metal panels, and punched windows. SGH provided building enclosure consulting and commissioning services for the two buildings connected with a glass-enclosed pedestrian bridge.
SGH participated in design-assist meetings with Gilbane, Payette, and Sunrise Erectors to detail the enclosure. Through this collaborative effort, the project team was able to efficiently coordinate performance, constructability, and cost.
Payette’s vision for the facade included proprietary, high-performance precast concrete panels, but the panels had never been used on an exposed building enclosure. SGH researched the panels to understand the construction and provided recommendations to the design team to increase the potential for successful in-service performance.
Since the project team developed shop drawings as part of the design-assist process, SGH focused on reviewing installation of the curtain wall and cladding systems during construction. We assisted with developing a mockup. Once the contractor installed waterproofing and fenestrations in the mockup, SGH performed air and water testing to compare with the project’s performance requirements. We helped the contractor troubleshoot installation issues and successfully avoid these issues on the building. The contractor then clad the mockup with the finish materials, so the project team could seek approval of the aesthetics by the City of Cambridge.
In addition to observing ongoing construction, SGH also completed performance testing on the building, including the winter garden atrium enclosed with point-supported glass for the walls and roof.
Project Summary
