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MIT NW22 Cambridge, MA
Our firm designed and directed the conversion of 195 Albany Street (MIT NW23), constructed in 1924 for warehouse storage, to new office quarters for MIT Departments of Facilities and Campus Planning. The 3-story, 50,000 SF facility was gutted to its surviving masonry enclosure and heavy timber frame. The structure’s essential industrial character and open plan, high-ceilinged spaces were recognized and recaptured in the new office layout and design. New building systems, lighting, energy conservation strategies and finishes were conceived to retain this historic character and express a common industrial aesthetic through contemporary means.
The accelerated project schedule progressed from space programming to owner occupancy in a 12-month calendar and 7-1/2 month construction period. Lighting systems use daylight harvesting, and automated lighting controls allow for lighting levels based on occupancy and overrides for sector by sector foot-candle control. The new mechanical systems feature heat wheel energy recovery systems, new fenestration includes operable window units for outdoor air circulation, and white PVC roofing mitigates summer heat gain.