SGA’s Mass Timber Life Sciences Concept Recognized With a Coveted Design Award from the AIA's Boston Society of Architects
March 14, 2024
BOSTON, MASS., THURSDAY, MARCH 14th, 2024–SGA’s Mass Timber Life Sciences Concept was recognized with a Merit Award at the AIA’s Boston Society of Architects’ annual Design Awards Gala on Thursday, March 7th at Artists for Humanity EpiCenter.
In constant pursuit of delivering cutting-edge environments for their clients, SGA’s Mass Timber Life Sciences Concept charts a viable map forward for New England’s first all-timber framed laboratory development.
As stated in the program’s 2023 Call for Submissions, each year, “the BSA Design Awards program celebrates exemplary innovation in the built environment, investment from committed clients, and the unique power of architecture to design buildings and spaces that transform communities and shape the way we live.”
A panel of esteemed design professionals serve as jurors, considering submissions based on criteria established in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Framework for Design Excellence. Award-winning projects (evaluated by their response to design for integration, water, resources, equity, economy, energy, change, eco-systems, wellbeing, and discovery) exemplify a strategic approach to sustainability, resiliency, social equality, and forward-thinking design.
The Jury commented: “The intention of maximizing and leveraging the benefits of mass timber is very clear: reducing embodied carbon and creating a healthy environment through biophilia. Given its reliance on existing lab facilities, the design has a strong resemblance to project precedents proposed to the City of Boston, giving it a sense of realism.” View the collateral and other award recipients on the BSA website.
John Sullivan, AIA, Partner and President of Architecture at SGA, shared that, “A deep commitment to sustainable design drives the SGA team, and we’re focused on promoting the use of mass timber to shape the built environment. Being recognized for our innovative approach is a true honor, and represents the passion, creativity, and expertise of our team.”
Published in September of 2023, SGA’s Mass Timber Life Sciences Concept is the result of a collaborative research effort in partnership with Thornton Tomasetti, Code Red Consultants, BR+A, Consigli, and a prominent developer. Together, the design team has envisioned two mass timber lab buildings to create an experiential research community for today’s most innovative scientists in one of Boston’s leading Life Sciences clusters. Reducing embodied carbon, promoting wellness and offering a reimagined environment for world class research were at the heart of this conceptual effort. The full study and Market-Ready Mass Timber Life Sciences Concept are available for review on SGA’s website.
In November of 2023, SGA’s Mass Timber Life Sciences Concept was recognized as a First Award recipient in the Rethinking The Future Global Architecture & Design Awards.
“Being honored as part of this prestigious awards program is a remarkable achievement for our team,” explains Maren Reepmeyer, AIA, LEED AP Vice President at SGA, “we are eager to continue partnering with clients and colleagues to deliver innovative designs worthy of recognition from our peers.”
About BSA
The Boston Society for Architecture (BSA) is a partnership between the Boston Society of Architects (BSA/AIA) and the BSA Foundation (Foundation). The BSA operates as a convener, educator, and action leader to ensure that the power of design is fully employed in creating solutions to the equity and climate crises of our time. As a member-led association, the BSA/AIA is one of the oldest and largest chapters of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in the United States. Comprised of world-renowned architects, designers, engineers, builders, and other industry professionals, we benefit from a committed membership who are some of the leading thinkers and innovators in professional practice today. The Foundation is a community organization dedicated to improving lives for all in Greater Boston through design.