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
| Sep 20, 2022
NIBS develops implementation plan for digital transformation of built environment
The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) says it has developed an implementation and launch plan for a sweeping digital transformation of the built environment.
| Sep 20, 2022
New Long Beach office building reflects Mid-Century Modern garden-style motif
The new Long Beach, Calif., headquarters of Laserfiche, a provider of intelligent content management and business process automation software, was built on a brownfield parcel previously considered undevelopable.
| Sep 19, 2022
New York City construction site inspections, enforcement found ‘inadequate’
A new report by the New York State Comptroller found that New York City construction site inspections and regulation enforcement need improvement.
| Sep 16, 2022
Fairfax County, Va., considers impactful code change to reduce flood risk
Fairfax County, Va., in the Washington, D.C., metro region is considering a major code change to reduce the risk from floods.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 15, 2022
Heat Pumps in Multifamily Projects
RMI's Lacey Tan gives the basics of heat pumps and how they can reduce energy costs and carbon emissions in apartment projects.
| Sep 15, 2022
Monthly construction input prices dip in August
Construction input prices decreased 1.4% in August compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index data released today.
| Sep 15, 2022
First LEED Platinum, net zero and net zero water synagogue opens
Kol Emeth Center, the world’s first LEED Platinum, net zero and net zero water synagogue, opened recently in Palo Alto, Calif.
| Sep 14, 2022
Fires on Amazon warehouse roofs seemingly caused by faulty PV installations
Amazon has made installing solar panels on rooftops a key part of its ESG strategy, but a series of events last year show how challenging greening up major facilities can be.
| Sep 14, 2022
Indian tribe’s new educational campus supports culturally appropriate education
The Kenaitze Indian Tribe recently opened the Kahtnuht’ana Duhdeldiht Campus (Kenai River People’s Learning Place), a new education center in Kenai, Alaska.
| Sep 13, 2022
California building codes now allow high-rise mass-timber buildings
California recently enacted new building codes that allow for high-rise mass-timber buildings to be constructed in the state.
