450 Kendall Street has achieved LEED Gold, making all six of the buildings in BioMed Realty’s Kendall Square LEED certified. Kendall Square was a pioneer: this development received a special permit as a Planned Unit Developent (PUD) in 1999, before LEED certification was a requirement of special permits. There is only one parcel remaining to be developed, and that lot is currently zoned for a planned performing arts center.
Though there isn’t much land remaining in the area, the City of Cambridge is taking measures to ensure new developments are sustainably designed. The city is working on updating and amending the regulations within the Volpe Transportation Center’s existing PUD district in preparation for its highly anticipated sale and redevelopment. Located just across Third Street from BioMed’s development, the city is proposing requiring a minimum of LEED Gold standard design.
These recent efforts by the city are in line with our design for 450 Kendall; the building received +4 points out of 5 for Innovation in Design on the USGBC LEED scorecard. Some of the sustainable features of the building include faceted glass, which refracts the light of the sky and surroundings, and sunshade systems that limit solar heat gains while creating visual interest. At Arrowstreet we are always looking for ways to create interesting, sustainable design, and are pleased to have contributed to creating another LEED certified building in Kendall Square.
Topics: Design, commercial real estate, Office/Lab, Sustainability