Project Details
- Project Name
- Science and Engineering Complex
- Architect
- Payette
- Client/Owner
- Tufts University
- Project Types
- Education
- Project Scope
- Adaptive Reuse
- Size
- 177,000 sq. feet
- Awards
- 2018 AIA - State/Regional Awards
- Shared by
- Payette
- Consultants
-
Electrical Engineer: van Zelm Engineers,Other: van Zelm Engineers,Plumbing Engineer: van Zelm Engineers,Landscape Architect: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates,Structural Engineer: LeMessurier,Civil Engineer: Nitsch Engineering
- Project Status
- Built
Project Description
The new Science and Engineering Complex (SEC) at Tufts University is the product of a strategic infill
addition that creates space for interdisciplinary research in biology, environmental science and
neuroscience while connecting two historic buildings to create a dynamic, community focused, high tech
hub for open communication and cross-pollination. The resulting academic precinct addresses the
institution’s desire for a critical mass of research and teaching space to support cross-departmental
collaborations in an environmentally responsible manner.
This LEED Gold Certified project, located three miles north of Boston in Medford, MA, is an unexpected
and innovative response to site and existing context. Rather than relocate or demolish one of the
significant historic buildings on the site as the client’s initial project brief had proposed, the design team
arrived at a solution for a smaller new addition that leverages and strengthens the existing buildings
through adaptive reuse, creating an integrated complex. From the onset of the project, the client had
ambitious goals for a high-performance building, setting aggressive performance targets for the team.
The project’s sustainable solutions are integral to its architectural solution, thoughtfully demonstrating
the interdependence between sustainability and scientific research.
The SEC serves as the academic and social heart of a precinct much larger than itself. The spaces between
new and existing buildings become as important as their prominent public faces, generating an animated
campus system of movement that highlights science and one’s connection to place with a simple,
transparent and elegant architectural expression.