Lexington, MA – R. G. Vanderweil Engineers recently completed the engineering design of a fifty million dollar facility expansion for Cubist Pharmaceuticals, in Lexington, MA. Cubist Pharmaceuticals is a bio-pharmaceutical industry leader that researches, develops and commercializes novel drugs used to treat infectious diseases caused by bacteria and fungi.
Vanderweil collaborated with local firms, The Richmond Group (laboratory planning and construction), Spagnolo Gisness & Associates (shell and core architecture) and Olson Lewis + Architects (interior architecture) on the addition of a two-story, 110,000 sf research laboratory expansion above part of Cubist’s existing facility. Vanderweil was responsible for the design of the MEP/FP systems, including a central utility plant, laboratory air handling systems, compressed gas distribution and emergency power systems. Existing MEP infrastructure was re-used where possible to reduce construction costs and sustainable practices were utilized throughout.
Another project challenge was designing the infrastructure and sequencing the construction so that the existing facility could remain operational as the expansion was built above it, thereby allowing Cubist to continue its important research without interruption.