Boston – EMD Serono, Inc., an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced that the company’s state-of-the-art research center in Billerica, is LEED® Gold certified under the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute. The Billerica research facility is one of only five laboratories in Massachusetts to achieve this high rating.
In February 2011, EMD Serono announced the completion of its Billerica research facility – a three-year construction project that included a $65 million expansion plan. Approximately 200 scientists work at the facility focused on expertise in cancer biology, cancer immunotherapy, oncogene signaling, medicinal chemistry, molecular modeling, protein engineering, therapeutic antibodies and manufacturing cell lines across the core therapeutic areas of neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and fertility.
The 140,000 sf facility incorporates environmentally responsible design features throughout the offices and laboratory. The building’s green features include high efficiency variable speed chillers; energy efficient cooling towers; high efficiency boilers; low flow fume hoods; low velocity/pressure drop, energy efficient air distribution systems; energy recovery systems on exhaust; low flow water system; and energy efficient lighting and controls.
Natural light is maximized throughout the building with solar panels utilized to generate electrical power for the lobby area, along with a daylight monitoring system incorporated throughout the building to reduce electrical usage. In addition, more than 20% of the building contains recycled content, 95% of the building construction waste was recycled including brick and steel materials, and more than 50% of the wood is Forest Stewardship Council certified. It is estimated that the EMD Serono research facility utilizes 19% less energy and approximately 72% less water than a comparable conventional building.
The architect on the research facility was Ellenzweig. The construction manager was Jones Lang LaSalle, a global real estate services and construction management corporation. The mechanical engineers of the facility were BR+A and the civil engineers were BSC Group.