121 Seaport, a 440,000-sf Class A office tower within Boston’s Innovative Seaport District, recently accepted its first tenant, with Alexion Pharmaceuticals leasing 150,000 square feet on floors three through eight. Internet of Things (IoT) technology provider PTC is leasing 250,000 sf, and will move in early next year, according to Skanska, this building’s GC, developer, and owner.
The 18-story building, which was completed this Spring, is distinguished by its elliptical exterior design that required 10% less facade, which helped reduce construction costs and waste. The shape also cuts the surface area of the building that’s exposed to the sun, so there’s less heat gain, which translates to 15% energy savings.
121 Seaport is targeting LEED Platinum certification.
Boston-based CBT designed the building. BD+C spoke with two of CBT’s Principals, Phil Casey and David Nagahiro, about this project, whose design began in 2014.
Casey says the Building team had to rethink what a seaport office building would look like. He notes, too, that the site dictated the shape and orientation of the building. For one thing, the building had to navigate around a corner of the site that intersected with a tunnel for the Boston’s Silver Line bus service, which connects the seaport to Logan Airport.
Part of the site is also within the Federal Aviation Administration’s zone for Logan, which limited the height of the building. “Moving the building outside of the zoning envelope was liberating,” says Nagahiro. (The completed building is just under 250 feet tall.)
The shape of the building creates an aerodynamic plane that minimizes the impact of wind, which meant that less lateral steel reinforcement was needed, and thereby improving the efficiency of the building’s floorplate.
The building's lobby is designed to give visitors and pedestrians a calming sense of place. Image: CBT
The building’s lobby is positioned toward Central Square, the Seaport’s green space, thereby cultivating a welcoming urban experience for pedestrians. “When you walk into the lobby, you know you’re in a different building,” says Nagahiro.
The building’s interior features include virtually column-free floorplates, elevated 10-ft ceilings, and access to outdoor terraces. Other amenities include 24/7 concierge service, a private fitness center, green roof over the 50,000-sf retail podium, and a rooftop terrace with striking views of the city.
At the base of this building is a 70-ft-wide promenade called Harbor Way with 20,000 sf of open space and an interactive walking museum. A parking garage underneath the building can accommodate 270 vehicles and 270 bikes.
Since launching its commercial development business in 2009, Skanska has invested nearly $500 million into sustainable developments in Boston. Aside from 121 Seaport, it has two other developments at the Seaport: 101 Seaport, the North American headquarters for the accounting and consulting firm PwC; and Watermark Seaport, a two-building 300,000-sf LEED Gold residential high rise with ground-floor retail, and 15,000 sf of indoor/outdoor space for residents that includes an 18th-floor sky deck.
Related Stories
Projects | Mar 3, 2022
Move, lift, restore: Repurposing a former post office near San Francisco
In mid-February, a construction crew began lifting a 1940s post office building located in Burlingame, Calif., on the San Francisco Peninsula.
Projects | Mar 2, 2022
Manufacturing plant gets second life as a mixed-use development
Wire Park, a mixed-use development being built near Athens, Ga., will feature 130 residential units plus 225,000 square feet of commercial, office, and retail space. About an hour east of downtown Atlanta, the 66-acre development also will boast expansive public greenspace.
Office Buildings | Feb 23, 2022
The Beam on Farmer, Arizona’s first mass timber, multi-story office building tops out
The Beam on Farmer, Arizona’s first mass timber, multi-story office building, topped out on Feb. 10, 2022.
Resiliency | Feb 15, 2022
Design strategies for resilient buildings
LEO A DALY's National Director of Engineering Kim Cowman takes a building-level look at resilient design.
Office Buildings | Feb 1, 2022
Mennica Legacy Tower: GP's latest office complex in Warsaw is uniquely designed
Mennica Legacy Tower marks GP’s first completed project in Poland. The Mennica Legacy Tower was developed by an affiliate of Golub & Company LLC and Mennica Towers GGH MT Sp z o o S.K.A, and delivered in collaboration with Epstein, a design firm with offices in Chicago and Warsaw.
Laboratories | Jan 28, 2022
3 must-know strategies for developers in today’s life sciences industry
While the life sciences industry had been steadily growing, this growth exploded when the pandemic arrived—and there is no indication that this lightning-fast pace will slow down any time soon.
Office Buildings | Jan 26, 2022
BlackRock’s Innovation Hub in Atlanta showcases its global design guidelines
The two-story space harkens to the city’s culture and past.
Coronavirus | Jan 20, 2022
Advances and challenges in improving indoor air quality in commercial buildings
Michael Dreidger, CEO of IAQ tech startup Airsset speaks with BD+C's John Caulfield about how building owners and property managers can improve their buildings' air quality.
3D Printing | Jan 12, 2022
Using 3D-printed molds to create unitized window forms
COOKFOX designer Pam Campbell and Gate Precast's Mo Wright discuss the use of 3D-printed molds from Oak Ridge National Lab to create unitized window panels for One South First, a residential-commercial high-rise in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Headquarters | Oct 28, 2021
Florida’s Seagate Development Group tackles design-build projects from a developer’s vantage
A “single point of contact” for clients, says its CEO.