SmartLabs at 40 Guest Street

SmartLabs, a lab developer, expanded its Boston, MA footprint with a new life science incubator at the New Balance complex in Boston Landing. The 40 Guest Street location provides entrepreneurs with the space and resources to grow their company and develop their scientific products.

Based on refinements from the 21 Erie Street location, the design features highly flexible labs. The layouts suit the specific research needs of small- and medium-sized life science companies. Scientists benefit from common facilities such as event space, conference rooms, break areas, showers, lockers, and a café.

The base building is home to the Boston Celtics training facility.

Lab workers enjoy views of the inner-city skyline and the Massachusetts Turnpike. The location near public transportation and new amenities takes advantage of Boston Landing’s transformation into a mixed-use urban destination.

Having served as an owner’s representative for the Celtics training facility project, SMMA had an intimate understanding of the building’s systems and infrastructure. The design team was able to seamlessly integrate SmartLabs lab and office layout without impacting the existing training facilities on the above floor.

The logistics of the lab design were complex.

Every aspect of the design—ductwork, construction, timing, and access—needed approval from New Balance.

The Celtics were already using their space above the labs. To minimize disruption, construction work and MEP coordination had to be planned around the team’s training schedule.

Sandwiched by a large gymnasium above and a parking garage below, the mechanical systems could not run vertically in most of the building. To solve this, the design surgically weaves systems through barriers within levels while strategically locating lab spaces to respond to systems placement.

Swimming pools on the above floor reduced the fourth floor’s usable height to 9.5 feet. This called for meticulous planning of ductwork, sprinklers, and lighting, all strategically placed around overhangs and partial roof sections.