Cambridge, MA

325 Binney Street

Scope/Solutions

Seeking a high-efficiency building for its new science center, Moderna partnered with Alexandria Real Estate Equities to develop 325 Binney Street. The building at the One Kendall Square campus incorporates design strategies for achieving environmental resilience and lowering energy consumption with a goal to be the most sustainable laboratory building in Cambridge. SGH served as the building enclosure commissioning (BECx) provider.

SGH provided commissioning services for the building enclosure, including below-grade waterproofing, custom multistory curtain walls, exterior metal panel-clad walls, punched windows, large skylight assemblies, and roofing. Highlights of our work include:

  • Helping establish performance expectations by developing the BECx plan/specification, and outlining testing requirements, project team roles and responsibilities, and procedures for documenting and resolving construction-related issues
  • Reviewing the enclosure design, including the owner’s project requirements and the basis of design at critical phases, and providing recommendations to improve its performance, energy efficiency, and constructibility
  • Providing construction phase services, including coordinating commissioning activities with the contractor, observing ongoing building enclosure installation to compare with the project requirements, and helping the contractor address field conditions
  • Conducting air-infiltration and water-penetration testing of fenestration systems to help the owner verify their performance
  • Completing infrared surveys of the exterior walls and roofs to identify thermal anomalies potentially associated with enclosure deficiencies, such as wet materials or air leakage
  • Preparing a BECx report summarizing completed work, construction deviations, site observations, and executed performance testing
  • Performing a follow-up review of the building enclosure ten months after occupancy

Project Summary

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2023

Completion Date
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462K

Project Size
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LEED

Certification
Solutions
New Construction
Services
Building Enclosures | Applied Science & Research
Markets
Commercial | Health Care & Life Sciences
Client(s)
Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers
Specialized Capabilities
Commissioning | Facades & Glazing | Roofing & Waterproofing | Environmental Simulations

Key team members

Emily Hopps
Emily Hopps
Executive Principal, Building Technology, East

Additional Projects

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303 Congress Street

The six-story, steel-moment framed building at 303 Congress Street was constructed in 1983. In 1995, SGH investigated foundation settlement that caused significant damage and resulted in immediate evacuation of the building.
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