Science and Engineering Building Underway at Northeastern

BOSTON — Northeastern University recently broke ground on the new $225 million Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Complex (ISEC). University President Joseph E. Aoun and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh joined students, community members, local politicians and members of the design team in marking the occasion.

“A science complex of this scale has the chance to be a shining example of the best Boston has to offer,” Mayor Walsh said in a speech at the groundbreaking. “This facility will attract some of the world’s best minds in the most cutting edge fields of research. The work they will do will change the world in ways we can’t even imagine yet.”

The first phase of this three-phase project is a curving 220,000-square-foot structure that will abut the existing Ruggles subway station. Visitors will be greeted by a glass atrium spanning all six floors complete with a spiraling staircase. The atrium itself will also be large enough to seat 200 guests, allowing it to double as a conference center, and will be surrounded by classrooms and a 280-seat auditorium.
Upper floors will feature open and flexible laboratories alongside offices, conference rooms and informal collaboration spaces. Students will also benefit from new wet, dry and computational research facilities, as well as interactive teaching and learning spaces. The broad use of glass will literally increase program transparency, offering visitors a window into various experiments and research activities being conducted.
The new 3.5-acre complex will also include a curved outdoor walkway, already referred to as The Arc, spanning the subway tracks and connecting to the campus in two locations. Several green spaces and pathways will also help integrate the ISEC into the surrounding Roxbury community.
According to university literature, the new facility will also help transform Northeastern’s research enterprise by providing state-of-the-art infrastructure, fostering collaboration across disciplines, and increasing the university’s capacity to hire top faculty and academic leaders.

“The most significant word in the name of this building is interdisciplinary,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Stephen W. Director at the groundbreaking. “Our research focuses on finding solutions to the global challenges in the areas of health, sustainability, and security. Solutions to these challenges require the collaboration of many minds working together in many fields.”
Payette, a Boston architecture firm that specializes in academic facilities, designed the ISEC. The firm also brought on Arup’s Boston office to provide mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, energy modeling, lighting design, and façade consulting. The two companies have already collaborated on several local academic projects, including the Harvard University Art Museum and the Boston University Center for Integrated Life Science and Engineering building.

“Highly technical and high-performance buildings are one of Arup’s specialties, and the intersection between laboratory and academic institutions creates an interesting juxtaposition of services,” said Mark Walsh-Cooke, principal with Arup. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Payette yet again on a facility that will change the face of research in Boston.”

Construction on this phase of the ISEC is scheduled for completion in 2016. The highly efficient facility will also aim for LEED certification.

Those interested in the project can take a series of virtual tours highlighting The Arc, atrium and other distinctive building features at www.northeastern.edu/isec/tour.html.