Planning Ahead to Reduce Redesign Risk
Leiden Center II, the future home of Vertex Pharmaceuticals at Innovation Square in Boston. Image: Courtesy of SGA
The topping-off of Leiden Center II at Innovation Square in June 2025 marked a construction milestone for the 319,000-sf life sciences facility in Boston's Seaport neighborhood. Even in its early stages, the project offers valuable takeaways for design and construction teams working in today's high-stakes urban lab environments, particularly those navigating the requirements for resilience, sustainability goals, and the complexities of collaboration.
Designed by SGA in partnership with DREAM Collaborative for future tenant Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the seven-story building is one of Boston's most ambitious lab developments. The core and shell is expected to be completed in April 2026. It is expected to become the city's first life sciences building to achieve both LEED Platinum and LEED Zero Carbon certification.
However, as SGA principal Joe Mamayek, AIA, LEED AP, shares with Lab Design News, the project's most enduring value may lie in what it has already taught the project team—and how those lessons may shape a better approach to future projects.
Plan for flood resilience early, or risk expensive changes later
SGA and DREAM Collaborative gather at 22 Drydock for the topping-off of Leiden Center II. Image: Courtesy of SGA
Given the site's waterfront location, sea level rise and flood risk were top concerns from the outset. The team made a strategic early decision to raise the podium level of the building by approximately five feet. This move protected critical infrastructure and ensured continuity of lab operations during potential storm events, while also saving the project from costly revisions further down the line.
"One major takeaway from Innovation Square has been the importance of designing for climate resilience: Sea Level Rise (SLR), from the outset," says Mamayek. "Elevating the building approximately five feet above grade to address flood risk proved to be a necessary move to protect critical infrastructure/building assets, ongoing science, and human safety, especially given the site's vulnerability."
Align stakeholders around shared goals—early and often
Coordinating among developer Related Beal, construction teams from Consigli and Janey Construction Management, and future tenant Vertex meant managing a diverse set of expectations. Early alignment around sustainability, flexibility, and community integration was critical to maintaining momentum and avoiding rework.
"One of the biggest areas of opportunity has been aligning the goals of the various stakeholders early in the process. Sustainability goals, tenant needs, public realm requirements, and developer constraints all needed to be coordinated upfront to avoid rework," Mamayek explains, adding that the project was committed to the following:
Diversity, equity, and inclusion: "The proposal highlighted M/WBE representation across all aspects of the team, including ownership/investments, design and construction, and finally, ongoing operations."
Sustainability: "The project goal was committed to creating a building of the future coupled with the opportunity to develop Boston's first LEED Platinum and LEED Zero Carbon life science building in the Boston marketplace."
Job training for young adult Boston residents and veterans returning from overseas: "Partnering with Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (GMGI) allowed hands-on training for entry-level careers in cutting-edge labs. GMGI addresses the critical challenges facing our oceans, human health, and the environment through innovative scientific research and education."
Designing for long-term adaptability doesn't have to mean overbuilding
In planning for Vertex and future tenants, the team prioritized scalable, lab-ready infrastructure that does not inflate costs or complexity. By selecting structural and MEP systems aligned with the highest-performing facilities in the Boston market and designing flexible amenities, such as shared conference space and lab support zones, the team struck a balance between adaptability and practicality.
"Designing for a tenant like Vertex means creating flexible, scalable infrastructure without inflating cost or complexity. At Leiden Center II, the metrics for structural and MEP/FP systems were aligned with providing best-in-class, life science projects performing in the Boston market," says Mamayek. "This would meet today's and tomorrow's needs for science-based tenants seeking LEED Platinum and LEED Zero Carbon facilities. Amenities like conference space and shared support functions were designed to serve both current and future tenants without requiring core modifications. This approach supports operational flexibility while staying grounded in current needs and market realities."
Sustainability must be baked in, not bolted on
Achieving dual LEED Platinum and LEED Zero Carbon certification required that sustainability considerations be addressed at every design phase.
"[An] example was designing the community-facing education lab space in coordination with the building's mechanical zones from the start," says Mamayek. "This avoided complicated rerouting or structural changes later in construction and helped keep both costs and schedule intact."
Mamayek adds, "Deciding early to raise the podium level helped avoid costly design revisions as flood resilience standards were reviewed. Similarly, early integration of rooftop PV layouts into the structural design allowed the team to avoid costly rework at the roof level."
Public realm integration adds real value—but requires planning
Designed by SGA with DREAM Collaborative for future tenant Vertex Pharmaceuticals, this seven-story lab is poised to be Boston’s first to achieve both LEED Platinum and LEED Zero Carbon certification. Image: Courtesy of SGA
While not a traditional priority for lab facilities, integrating publicly accessible space into the project—via a central plaza and courtyard—has added value to the development and the neighborhood. These spaces serve both aesthetic and functional purposes, offering community benefits and improving the pedestrian experience in the Marine Industrial Park.
"Another lesson has been the tangible value of integrating public space into lab developments," Mamayek says. "The plaza and courtyard are not just aesthetic enhancements—they're active, community-serving spaces that elevate the project's presence, adding to the public realm experience and enriching the overall pedestrian experience within the Marine Industrial Park."
Guidance for future urban lab projects
Reflecting on the experience so far, Mamayek encourages teams working on similar urban lab projects to treat sustainability, resiliency, and public benefit as essential components of lab design, not peripheral ones.
"Treat sustainability, resiliency, and community benefit as design drivers, not add-ons," he said. "In dense urban environments like Boston, high standards for energy, carbon, and flood resilience are increasingly the baseline, not the exception."
It's also essential to approach flexibility and contextual integration with intention, planning infrastructure that can evolve with changing scientific needs while remaining grounded in the physical and cultural fabric of the neighborhood.
"Aligning all stakeholders early, particularly around sustainability and inclusion goals, can reduce friction and surprises later," Mamayek says. "Designing flexible but efficient lab infrastructure, and taking inspiration from local industrial and maritime heritage, can also help balance innovation with contextual fit."
