Lexington, MA – Cubist Pharmaceuticals hired The Richmond Group of Hopkinton as the design/build construction manager for its new $50 million Vertical Expansion laboratory project located in Lexington that is scheduled for completion in 2012. The new space was designed to accommodate Cubist Pharmaceuticals’ current and future needs for research and development.
Due to site restrictions and the current building footprint at their location in Lexington, the most cost effective solution for expansion was to build “Vertical,” hence the name of the project “Vertical Expansion.”
As part of the visionary and forward thinking process by Cubist and The Richmond Group, the concrete footing and steel columns were designed into the floor plan for the level 1 laboratory project in 2007. These new columns support the new two floors of labs and the mechanical penthouse and roof.
Without the integration of the footing and columns into the newly built Level 1 lab layout, the current project wouldn’t have been feasible without additional costs and/or schedule impacts. This forward thinking approach allowed Cubist Pharmaceutical R&D labs to continue on Level 1 with minimal impacts to the scientists as the new structure was erected above their existing labs in the afternoon and early evening hours.
The additional 77,000sf of state-of-the-art laboratory space (overall addition of 104,000gsf of new space) at Cubist’s Lexington headquarters is comprised of two floors of laboratory/administration/technical support, a new central utility plant, a new mechanical penthouse and retrofit of level 1 – existing labs.
Also included in The Richmond Group’s design/build contract with Cubist is a 299 space pre-cast parking garage. Many of the new building elements have been transposed over to the garage so it will blend in with the new facility and the overall look of the Cubist Pharmaceutical corporate campus environment that already exists.
The entire project was drawn and coordinated in 3D/BIM. The Richmond Group, working directly with their design team (R.G. Vanderweil Engineers, Spagnolo Gisness & Associates, Inc. and Olson Lewis Dioli & Doktor Architects) and subcontractors developed the 3D model to facilitate the proper sequencing for installation of the Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing System while eliminating conflicts in the field.
The 3D model was also a major asset during the pre-construction phases of the project in helping to assist Cubist and the entire project team to fully visualize the entire project before any work was installed in the field. This approach has allowed The Richmond Group to minimize field changes maintaining the base line cost estimate.