Innovation Square III (ISQ3)
To attract top talent and foster new discoveries in life sciences, the design of Innovation Square III (ISQ3) incorporates industry-leading ‘net zero’ features and contextual elements that are reflective of the maritime environment
Together, SGA and Related Beal have undertaken the transformation of the Innovation Square (ISQ3) site in Boston’s Eastern Seaport within the Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park. Once the site of the South Boston Naval Annex and South Boston Army Base, as well as the location for shipping, commerce, and drydock activities, the waterfront industrial park was largely underutilized with aging infrastructure.
A new ground-up research center is imminent for future occupant Vertex Pharmaceuticals: SGA’s design with DREAM Collaborative is driven by enhanced interconnectivity with the public realm and a focus on net-zero requirements. Related Beal closed its financing in May 2024, and SGA is thrilled to be lead designer for one of the city’s most exciting developments moving into construction this year.
The seven-story state-of-the-art research and development facility is complete with on-site amenities including a café, fitness center, roof deck, conference and event space, and outdoor public seating.
As a build-to-suit for Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the design focuses on open, flexible space to ensure opportunity for continued adaptation in pursuit of their mission to “invest in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases with a focus on specialty markets.” Vertex’s success and longstanding commitment to the Seaport is often credited as the catalyst for the neighborhood’s evolution into a global life-science hub.
Set to achieve LEED Platinum Certification and LEED Zero Carbon certification, the design is already in line with The Boston Planning and Development Agency’s May 2024 proposal that will require new buildings to be ‘net zero’ immediately. These collaborative resiliency and sustainability efforts boosted Vertex’s confidence and comfort in occupancy of this prominent, future-minded property designed by SGA. ISQ3 will also be the first LEED Platinum and zero-net-carbon life sciences building in Boston.
With a deeply-toned, steel-framed façade pulling from the surrounding industrial expression, the design of the building employs modern glasswork that plays lightly with scale and symmetry to create an inspirational intersection between the neighborhood’s historic context and its future growth.
Drawing direct inspiration from its axial relationship with the existing buildings and landmarks, the development’s distinctive v-shaped plan animates the ground plane and engages pedestrians with an atypical street-level experience. A new courtyard designed by Ground, Inc. and a public first floor, intertwine with the surrounding urban ecosystem to capitalize on the street corner position and create a distinguished gateway to the neighborhood.
The cutting-edge discovery that will take place inside ISQ3 is supported by careful coordination, complex equipment, and new strategies for sustainability and resiliency. The foundation will be raised five feet to gracefully sculpt a protective edge for the development and prevent impacts of climate change. This prominent plateau engages the public and celebrates the equity of open space while creating opportunities for diverse community activation.
Hand-in-hand with resiliency considerations, ISQ3 prioritizes peak sustainability features such as a high-performance envelope design, MEP electrification using heat pump technologies, maximum on-site renewable energy generation via rooftop photovoltaics, and a reduction in embodied carbon through whole building life cycle assessment.