Project Background
The seaport district has experienced a boom in property development in recent years and at the time of this project, it was the fastest growing part of Boston. Labs, life science and research facilities were being erected at an unprecedented pace and we’ve been fortunate enough to participate in the mechanical construction of some of the most high-profile projects of this domain. A core and shell build out, the glimmering Innovation Square (iSQ) is one such project we completed in October 2019. At 375,000 sqft and 4-stories, we were responsible for constructing its entire HVAC system from the ground up.
Special Considerations
One key characteristic of life science/lab-type buildings is that ventilation loads are higher than in traditional facilities, increasing reliance on the mechanical systems to support it. In some cases, air flow exhausts at a rate equal to intake – maintaining constant purified air throughout the sensitive laboratory zones. We were not only able to install a high-performance hvac system, but greatly contributed to iSQ’s LEED Silver certification for superior energy efficiency.
Our Approach
With this project, we fully leveraged our manufacturing infrastructure to prefabricate most of the specified mechanical systems connections. This includes all ductwork, miles of pipe assemblies, four identical 40,000 CFM Cambridgeport Custom-made air handling units, paired with two powerful 80,000 CFM exhaust fan systems that met the high ventilation loads of this lab space. Our ability to prefabricate these vital HVAC elements in a controlled, weather-resistant manufacturing environment not only reduced construction times but ensured consistent quality throughout the entire assembly process.
