Construction Update: Boston University CILSE

The Center for Integrated Life Sciences and Engineering at Boston University broke ground in May 2015 and topped off on January 12, 2016. After a year of construction the core and shell are nearly complete and the lab fit-outs are under way. A relatively mild winter helped keep the project on track.

The unitized curtain wall and folded glass fiber reinforced concrete fins on the north and west façades are being installed. When viewed frontally the fins are slim enough that they fade away and the façade reads as primarily glass, giving the building a high-tech, contemporary feel. When viewed obliquely the fins obscure part or all of the glass, making the building appear more opaque and visually this project fits in with the limestone buildings of BU’s campus.

The decision to place the mechanical floors on the second and third levels in order to raise the labs for views of the city is already successful. Panoramic views of the Charles River and the downtown skyline begin to open up just 50 feet off the ground and are spectacular on the top floors which would typically be occupied by equipment. Placing MEP spaces lower in the building also enabled faster construction because that work could begin earlier in the process.

The envelope will be completed early this summer and construction will continue rapidly until opening day in February 2017.

The following slideshow includes four photos from BU’s construction camera that show progress on the façade construction. The next five photos depict: 1) north façade installation; 2) view of Commonwealth Ave and the B line from level 9; 3) curtain panel and pipe installation on level 5; 4) Detail of tight coordination between a duct, emergency shower piping and sprinkler piping on level 4, made possible by 3D modeling and coordination; 5) Boston skyline from the CILSE roof. I shared the skyline photo from my instagram account (@wstattman) and BU re-posted (@BostonU) it in March.