Center of Excellence for Medical Devices

A global pharmaceutical company needed to co-locate its expertise in medical devices to improve collaboration, innovation, and efficient operations. With the company’s Massachusetts-based biologics teams moving from Lexington to Cambridge, SMMA helped transform the partially vacated building into a new Center of Excellence for Medical Devices.

The new 47,000 square foot Center functions as a scientific hub to explore next-generation therapeutics, emerging technologies, and new care models to improve patient health.

Before its transformation, the building served many uses.

The original tenant was an aerospace and defense company. The building was then converted to lab/office use, with a range of spaces including wet labs and a vivarium.

The new design transforms this conventional two-story lab building into an accessible client and customer showcase based on focused growth areas in medical research.

The heart of the new design is a specialized device lab.

The company envisioned the lab to serve to goals. First, to inspire innovation among its researchers and developers. Second, to provide a space for visitors to experience the company’s capabilities and learn about its devices and products.

Inside the Center

The Center of Excellence for Medical Devices includes a wide range of spaces for research and customer experiences. These include:

Product Showcase

A space displaying newly released products and devices in the main first floor lobby.

User Experience Center

A room for researching on-site human factors and user studies. It is equipped with microphones, remote controlled cameras, and a one-way mirror to an adjacent room for observation.

Brainstorm Hub

An open area at the center of the lab with moveable whiteboards, easels, post-its, and flexible table/chair reconfigurations. It is used for brainstorming, lessons-learned debriefs, and training. It encourages instant prototyping by 360-degree access to surrounding lab benches and equipment.

Prototyping Center

Home to 3D printers and rapid prototyping tools.

Specialized Areas

Includes a “Pilot Assembly” area, “Fabrication Lab,” and “Packaging Lab," alongside an "Innovation Wall” that displays framed patents.

E-Health Center

Demonstrates connected devices, app offerings, and software devices. Users of the Center can project videos, and conduct demos via telepresence, helping to demonstrate technical expertise and encourage collaboration.

Gallery Walk

Aids in the setup of hands-on product demonstrations to show off work and stimulate discussion. This area has controlled access so staff can display projects under development, rather than just launched products with protected intellectual property rights.

Lab Space

Includes a biological compatibility lab, a device development lab, wet lab areas for special purposes, and a main lab. The main lab is a dry lab for mechanical device testing. It boasts an optimized layout to accommodate a wide variety of tasks including measuring, microscopy, device testing, container closure systems testing, assembly, disassembly, prototyping, reverse engineering, spray painting, and bonding.

The Center is home to a diverse program with highly secure areas.

SMMA worked with the company to strategically separate the building’s public and private spaces. Public-facing programs such as the patented product displays and Demonstration Center are visible near the main entrance. Current prototypes and unpatented products are located towards the rear of the building and are only accessible by staff.

Another design challenge was to retain as many engineering systems as possible while assessing the company’s compatibility with medical device functions and the overall building lifecycle.

The design team conducted analysis of all mechanical and electrical systems. The next step was to replace HVAC and power infrastructure to cope with increased energy and air flow demands. This includes major improvements to the building envelope including new window systems, upgrades to the pre-cast building exterior, and a new roof.