Bucolic Headquarters

This project was chosen as the second place entry in a two-stage international design competition.  The two-phase competition drew 301 submissions from prestigious architects throughout the world including some of the largest firms in the United States and Europe. New England Biolabs (NEB), a world leader in products for genetic research and molecular biology sponsored the competition to design its new headquarters on a 126-acre former "Great Estate" in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

The architecture of the new facility reflects the scale and character of the surrounding landscape rather than the buildings within it, and transforms and reinvents the relationship between structure and site.

Three equal wings, alternating with two winter gardens, are organized radially to link the existing buildings, extend the "great lawn" surrounding the historic mansion on the site, and provide views of the landscape. The skylit entry offers views of the east winter garden, and is linked to the rest of the building by a curving two-story walkway defined by a sloping gallery wall with niches to display paintings or sculpture. This walkway provides access to all of the program areas in the building. The west winter garden serves as an amenity for the lounge/lunchroom, creating a more private gathering space for the staff. Mechanical systems and lab support are enclosed in a central "spine" in the middle of each lab block, allowing efficient, flexible distribution without limiting the ceiling height in the work areas.

The building is intended to express the qualities of the landscape rather than the mansion; it is clad in a patterned pre-cast concrete that recreates the texture of a traditional stone wall. The roof is clad in a patinized copper to reflect its light weight and recall the copper dome of the mansion.