Winthrop Center, a new 691-foot tall, mixed-use tower in Boston was recently honored with the Passive House Trailblazer award. Built to stringent Passive House standards, the structure’s 812,000 sf of office space will be the largest office built to those standards in the world when it is completed in 2023. The project models “the most energy efficient solution for large scale buildings” to date, according to a news release.
“Passive House is the route to zero operational carbon, which is why Winthrop Center is a globally important building,” said Craig Stevenson, Passive House Network board chair. The project “is paving the path for developers searching for more energy-efficient solutions and for cities and states trying to meet carbon reduction goals.”
A typical Class A building in Boston’s existing stock uses 150% more energy than Winthrop Center, and existing LEED Platinum buildings in Boston use 60% more energy than the building’s office space is projected to use. The project will also deliver 510,000 sf of residential space, including 317 luxury residences located in the center of Boston.
Winthrop Center will be the most energy efficient large-scale building ever built in a cold climate, the release says. It incorporates a well-insulated building façade, air-tight exterior envelope, and advanced energy recovery ventilation (ERV) system for the office space. “In addition to eliminating heating and cooling inefficiencies, this integrated system allows the building to deliver better managed and higher quality air, positively impacting employee health, productivity, and sense of well-being,” the release says.
The project is also projected to achieve WELL Gold certification and WIRED Platinum, the highest quality rating of a building’s infrastructure and Internet connections. Tenants and owners will be equipped with integrated touchless smart building solutions including a network of on-demand space and services. Features include touchless mobile access for elevators, entry and turnstiles, guest access, conference pod scheduling, pet amenities, parking, and food and beverage.
The ground floor will include a 24,000-sf gathering space called “The Connector” that will invite the public in for certain events. The building will include “a world-class fitness center, and top-tier amenities” through a 25,000-sf common area known as “The Collective.”
The structure will feature plentiful natural light with 10-foot-high windows and a limited column structural design with unobstructed sight lines. The office space will provide a flexible and adaptable environment with distinctive floorplans. Tenants will be able to access privacy and adjacent collaboration in different wings of each floor, while staying connected to common and community spaces.
On the building team:
Owner and/or developer: MP Boston
Design architect: Handel Architects
Architect of record: Handel Architects
MEP engineer: WSP, Boston Office
Structural engineer: DESimone Engineering
General contractor/construction manager: Suffolk Construction
Related Stories
Building Team | Jul 14, 2022
Austin PBS gets a new state-of-the-art facility with three studios
Since the 1970s, Austin PBS, birthplace of the Austin City Limits TV series, has been based inside the communications building on the University of Texas campus—a space it has long outgrown.
Building Team | Jul 13, 2022
The YIMBY movement emerges as valuable advocate for affordable housing
Over the past few decades, developers grew accustomed to nothing but staunch opposition to dense affordable housing project proposals.
Energy | Jul 13, 2022
Electrification of buildings, new and old, furthers environmental responsibility and equity
It’s almost a cliché in our industry, but nonetheless: The greenest building is the one that is already built.
Building Team | Jul 13, 2022
Austin’s newest entertainment and hospitality complex has been made from repurposed shipping containers
A new entertainment and hospitality complex in Austin, The Pitch, has been made out of repurposed shipping containers.
Codes and Standards | Jul 12, 2022
USGBC sets out principles for LEED’s future
The U.S. Green Building Council recently published a report containing principles outlining how LEED will evolve.
Building Team | Jul 12, 2022
10 resource reduction measures for more efficient and sustainable biopharma facilities
Resource reduction measures are solutions that can lead to lifecycle energy and cost savings for a favorable return on investment while simultaneously improving resiliency and promoting health and wellness in your facility.
Office Buildings | Jul 12, 2022
Miami office tower nears completion, topping off at 55 stories
In Miami, construction of OKO Group and Cain International’s 830 Brickell office tower is nearing completion.
University Buildings | Jul 11, 2022
Student life design impacts campus wellness
As interior designers, we have the opportunity and responsibility to help students achieve deeper levels of engagement in their learning, social involvement, and personal growth on college campuses.
Museums | Jul 11, 2022
Denmark opens a museum that tells the stories of refugees worldwide
Located on the site of Denmark’s largest World War II refugee camp, the new Refugee Museum of Denmark, FLUGT, tells the stories of refugees from the camp as well as refugees worldwide.
Codes and Standards | Jul 8, 2022
Inefficient supply chains, outdated project delivery systems hamper construction investment
Constructing and justifying the cost of physical assets such as a manufacturing plant is much more difficult than it was decades ago, according to a report by Steffen Fuchs, senior partner with McKinsey & Company.