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
Adaptive Reuse | Dec 21, 2022
University of Pittsburgh reinvents century-old Model-T building as a life sciences research facility
After opening earlier this year, The Assembly recently achieved LEED Gold certification, aligning with the school’s and community’s larger sustainability efforts.
Multifamily Housing | Dec 20, 2022
Brooks + Scarpa-designed apartment provides affordable housing to young people aging out of support facilities
In Venice, Calif., the recently completed Rose Apartments provides affordable housing to young people who age out of youth facilities and often end up living on the street. Designed by Brooks + Scarpa, the four-story, 35-unit mixed-use apartment building will house transitional aged youths.
Cladding and Facade Systems | Dec 20, 2022
Acoustic design considerations at the building envelope
Acentech's Ben Markham identifies the primary concerns with acoustic performance at the building envelope and offers proven solutions for mitigating acoustic issues.
Sponsored | Resiliency | Dec 14, 2022
Flood protection: What building owners need to know to protect their properties
This course from Walter P Moore examines numerous flood protection approaches and building owner needs before delving into the flood protection process. Determining the flood resilience of a property can provide a good understanding of risk associated costs.
Healthcare Facilities | Dec 14, 2022
In Flint, Mich., a new health center brings together children’s mental and physical health services
Families with children who experience behavioral health issues often have to travel to multiple care facilities to see multiple teams of specialists. In Flint, Mich., the new Center for Children’s Integrated Services at Genesee Health System (GHS), a public mental health provider, brings together all of the GHS children’s programs, including its behavioral health programs, under one roof. It provides families a single destination for their children’s mental healthcare.
Sponsored | Multifamily Housing | Dec 14, 2022
Urban housing revival: 3 creative multifamily housing renovations
This continuing education course from Bruner/Cott & Associates highlights three compelling projects that involve reimagining unlikely buildings for compelling multifamily housing developments.
HVAC | Dec 13, 2022
Energy Management Institute launches online tool to connect building owners with HVAC contractors
The National Energy Management Institute Inc. (NEMI) along with the Biden administration’s Better Air in Buildings website have rolled out a resource to help building owners and managers, school districts, and other officials find HVAC contractors.
Market Data | Dec 13, 2022
Contractors' backlog of work reaches three-year high
U.S. construction firms have, on average, 9.2 months of work in the pipeline, according to ABC's latest Construction Backlog Indicator.
Green | Dec 9, 2022
Reaching carbon neutrality in building portfolios ranks high for organizations
Reaching carbon neutrality with their building portfolios ranks high in importance among sustainability goals for organizations responding to a Honeywell/Reuters survey of senior executives at 187 large, multinational corporations. Nearly nine in 10 respondents (87%) say that achieving carbon neutrality in their building portfolio is either extremely (58%) or somewhat (29%) important in relation to their overall ESG goals. Only 4% of respondents called it unimportant.
High-rise Construction | Dec 7, 2022
SOM reveals its design for Singapore’s tallest skyscraper
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has revealed its design for 8 Shenton Way—a mixed-use tower that will stand 63 stories and 305 meters (1,000 feet) high, becoming Singapore’s tallest skyscraper. The design team also plans to make the building one of Asia’s most sustainable skyscrapers. The tower incorporates post-pandemic design features.
