Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) sits in the heart of Kendall Square,
neighboring the MIT campus, at One Broadway. It’s a flexible state-of-the-art
managed office facility designed to house young technology and life sciences
companies. It offers start-ups and emerging companies the kind of office space
and technical infrastructure that’s hard to find in the early stages of a company’s
growth. The environment is dense, but open. It’s filled with glass, natural light,
and high tech finishes that create an exciting, high energy atmosphere for the
inventors, innovators and scientists who have chosen to build their businesses
there.
Recently, CIC partnered with Commodore Builders to expand their operation into
70,000 additional square feet of space on the 3rd and 4th floors of One Broadway.
The renovations on the 4th floor included the conversion of a former parking
garage ramp into office space. Thirty-two sky lights and 2 light tubes carry natural
daylight from the 5th floor roof, down through the 4th floor to the 3rd floor offices.
According to Studio Troika architects Michael Samra and Robert Elfer, even the
thought of punching out so many skylights in an existing concrete building would
have terrified most owners. But CIC’s CEO Tim Rowe, was not afraid. And the
way the light augments the space has taken even the designers by surprise. “The
design process was a collaborative team effort, “ explains Elfer. “Tim led the
charge with his vision of what the space should be. The BIM platform enabled
us to create a design team where the client became an active participant in the
design process rather that a passive viewer.”
According to CIC’s Rowe, “Studio Troika and Commodore have done a great job
through the construction process, working with us as the design has evolved.
We know that’s a difficult thing to do in construction and we’re thrilled with the
results.”
Studio Troika’s Samra explains some of the unique aspects of the interior
design. “Light is brought into every space to make it feel special. Where there
wasn’t an opportunity to bring in natural light, we installed backlit artificial
windows with a glass mosaic design, as one more way to make every individual
space a special place.”
According to CIC tenants, the combination of expansive views, open ceilings
and the abundance of natural light make the space uniquely compelling and
energizing.
Ilene Mason is a founding member of Rethinking Power Management, one of
CIC’s current tenants. “I like the open feeling in the new 3rd floor space. The
glass walls allow natural light to flow throughout the interior. And the small
phone and meeting rooms are cleverly arranged in interior spaces, so they don’t
obstruct the windows.”
“Tim Rowe has truly redefined the way we think about commercial office
interiors,” states Elfer. “It’s actually possible to reduce the size of an individual
office without compromising the tenant’s experience, by carefully balancing
public and private spaces.”
Offices have transom windows that look out to exterior walls. The placement and
height of the transoms is very precise. There are always views of the outside, but
privacy is never compromised.
The layout at CIC is extraordinarily dense. This is a quality some might consider
a drawback, but Elfer suggests it was the density that led to the beauty of the
space. “The density of the layout outpaces any project we’ve done before,”
he explains. “It’s 30% – 50 % denser than a typical office environment, but it’s
the density that makes the space an exciting experience. For the residents of
CIC, it’s like living in a small apartment and then stepping out of your apartment
into New York City. The public spaces are filled with fantastic international
conversations. The people working there are from all over the world.”
The density was also a catalyst for creating new methods of way-finding, which
include the use of vibrant colors, landmarks, and paths that wind through
the neighborhoods of office pods. There is an unusually high level of HVAC
control throughout the space, giving every tenant the ability to control their
own environment. During the design phase, particular attention was paid to
connectivity and communications. Idea Paint Walls abound. Conference room
wizards assist residents in booking meeting space.
The surroundings are visually compelling and eminently practical. Offices are
designed to be flexible, without feeling temporary. Ghost doors, the equivalent
of a door frame with frosted glass, can go from being a window to a door in just
minutes, to accommodate a new configuration for a tenant.
Phantom doors, or pre-framed doorways, exist within the drywall. If a tenant’s
business grows, a door can quickly be cut out of the drywall to provide a link to
bigger space. Neighborhoods of office pods expand and contract in minutes.
“There is a simultaneous emphasis on community space and privacy,” observes
Joe Albanese, CEO of Commodore Builders, the construction management firm
that built the new space. Albanese says, “The tenants of CIC can be working
alone when they want or they can join a vibrant community of entrepreneurs
by simply stepping outside of their office. They can be isolated or collaborative.
It’s all there in one very modern, highly secure, very unique environment.”