Today, the company employs approximately 1,700 full-time employees, and occupies more than 700,000 sf at seven sites in Cambridge. Millennium's most recent accomplishment came in 2003 when R&D Magazine presented the company with the Laboratory of the Year award for its new seven-story building at 35 Landsdowne St. Judges for the competition chose the building based on its developer-driven design with built-in flexibility, "see and be seen" open floor plans, and the elegance of both its interior and exterior.

The new research building, located in University Park at MIT, includes biology and chemistry labs, specialty labs, and offices. Lab space comprises 80,000 sf of the 220,000-sf building with a 9,000-sf vivarium suite. The building has a 75 percent efficiency level.

"We designed this space to attract world-class talent in a way that would enable science and never constrain it," says Paul Pratt, senior capital projects manager. "Creating a business model that includes the flexibility to accommodate rapid population growth is one of the key factors to our success."

Establishing Goals and Requirements

The design team, led by Millennium with Forest City as the developer, set out to build the state-of-the-art lab with a clear set of goals that focused on supporting Millennium's research and business mission of enabling science. The labs, designed to accommodate different science functions, can be quickly and easily modified to suit future needs in a manner that is time-sensitive and cost-conscious. Major building modifications must be pre-approved by Forest City.

"We design space for the need of the group, whether it be office space, specialty lab space, or animal facility space," says Pratt. "We try to accommodate everybody's needs, while keeping the space both efficient and functional."

The project goals were driven by the concept of "see and be seen," which meant creating interactive spaces to foster collaboration between various disciplines within the organization, and maximizing open space. The layout of the building creates a safe working space and offers occupants a fun and dynamic environment.

Millennium's senior management team had established a list of core and cultural requirements that were incorporated into the design goals. Core requirements included the need for safe, flexible, convertible, and expandable space. Cultural requirements reflected the need for a fun environment with open, interactive work areas.

Complying with the Requirements

The generic labs, suitable for a broad range of biopharmaceutical research, feature an open layout and modular casework that is repeated on each floor to meet the flexibility demands of future projects. A chemistry lab can easily be converted into a biology lab and vice versa to address the needs of the company's user groups as the company grows.

Floor-to-floor height is 15 feet to support a robust mechanical, electrical, and plumbing infrastructure. The above-ceiling MEP system and built-in air-handling system between the lab floors can accommodate a full chemistry program with a maximum of 220 eight-foot fume hoods.

The chemistry labs have a high density of fume hoods and fabric diffusers in lieu of the traditional diffusers. The fabric diffusers can be used in both the chemistry and biology labs. Drop-down utilities are available for equipment such as the hoods, sinks, data lines, and Internet access.

First-aid and precautionary equipment, such as fire extinguishers and respiratory packs, are kept in safety huddles at the entrance to each lab for easy access. The building adheres to all relevant local and national safety codes and is classified as a Type 1 High-Hazard facility. The classification enables occupants to use the maximum amount of flammable chemicals permitted by the building code within a high-rise urban facility.

Safety codes restrict the use of chemicals on the upper floors of a building without the Type 1 High-Hazard classification. Millennium achieved the classification by designing a plan that features a fire-control barrier between the labs and the office space, a forward-thinking layout that will meet future building codes. Three lab entrance/exit points on every floor provide an added safety measure.

A 1,500-kilowatt generator is available for backup power, and eight dedicated exhaust shafts are located throughout the building for future use.

Interaction Space

The lab floors are linked with an interconnecting stairwell to promote interaction. The focus of science and business is alternated on each floor to enhance interaction and collaboration. Each floor, except the ground level, features a kitchen which offers soft seating overlooking a small campus park that fronts both buildings, and every other floor has a game area with either foosball, pool table, or a ping pong table. A 150-seat auditorium with full videoconferencing capabilities and a world-class sound system allows researchers to collaborate with overseas partners.

Lobbies on the ground floor provide the perfect location for building users to greet visitors, meet guests, and interact with other researchers in the morning.

The Boston-based architectural firm of Elkus/Manfredi brought a sense of creativity to Millennium's goal of developing a dynamic environment. Bright colors and comfortable seating invite occupants to enjoy the restaurant-style dining room, the food service area with a fully functioning kitchen, a coffee bar, and private rooms for meetings.

"The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive," says Pratt. "The most positive reactions have been regarding the openness and flow of the space and the fact that requests for modifications have been expedited because of the decision by Millennium to invest in the mechanical infrastructure upfront."

Leasing the Building

The new building, which was occupied in July 2002, is the third developer-driven project Millennium has worked on with Forest City, which manages MIT's University Park. A fourth project, completed at 40 Landsdowne St. in June 2003, brought the total amount of space that Millennium leases from Forest City to about 800,000 sf, or more than 45 percent of the developer's portfolio in Cambridge.

"We made a strategic business decision to invest in the science and not capital assets so we lease all of our space," says Pratt.

The lease agreement between Millennium and Forest City was signed in April 2000 with construction beginning in October 2000. The project was completed in June 2002 at a total project cost of just under $55 million. The total base building construction cost was $18.4 million, while the total tenant construction cost was $45.9 million. The landlord contribution was $18 million, leaving Millennium with a total cost of $37 million.

The lease arrangement clearly defined the design and construction responsibilities shared by Millennium and Forest City. A construction schedule had been agreed upon by Millennium, Forest City, and the construction manager, and project responsibilities were shared by all parties. Glitches which occurred along the way were quickly resolved as a result of the involved parties discussing the issues and negotiating the appropriate costs for revisions.

The groundbreaking lease included an MEP design allowance of $175,000, a base systems allowance of $10 million, a leasehold improvement allowance of $9 million, less a tenant transfer deduction of $1.2 million to give the total landlord financial contribution of $18 million.

Learning from the Challenges

Team members were confronted with a local subcontractor overload and difficulty in getting structural steel delivered on time as a result of extensive work taking place in the Boston area, exclusively the Big Dig Project. A 15-percent cost premium was encountered, especially with the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades. Approximately $1 million in design changes were necessary due to Millennium program changes that occurred while maintaining the original fast-track schedule.

"The schedule was very fast-tracked because we needed the project completed quickly," says Pratt. "If we had the luxury of more time, we would have allowed for a longer design development period."

Millennium officials incorporated the lessons they learned during completion of the 35 Landsdowne project into the design and construction of the building at 40 Landsdowne St. The design team was able to plan for uncertainty and to design flexibility into the project budget.

"You must think about the big picture when planning for success," advises Pratt. "Plan for the long term and remember that if you don't make the necessary investments initially, you will pay as you go."

The newest building at 40 Landsdowne Street has eight floors, consists of 230,000 sf, and is similar to its predecessor at 35 Landsdowne with a mix of office space, as well as chemistry and biology labs. The landlord contribution was $19 million, leaving Millennium with a total cost of $30 million.

The company, which uses the slogan, "Breakthrough science, Breakthrough medicine," is now known for creating breakthrough laboratory space that is expected to be emulated at other research facilities.

By Tracy Carbasho