Novartis Campus | 181-211 Mass Ave, 22 Windsor Street | Kendall Square | Cambridge

[whighlander]

Re: Novartis Expansion

I feel like this certainly might have an effect on expansion...

http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/13/news/companies/novartis_jobs/

Also, there was a recent voluntary recall on Excedrin, and correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't too a Novartis drug?

DZH -- as Stel pointed out -- the cuts are mostly sales people connected with drugs coming off patent -- if anything it just impels Novartis to build more in Cambridge

Cambridge is all about drugs which so far exist only as concepts and that Novartis hopes will come under patent in about 3 to 5 years and which they will start selling in 2020 and by 2025 they will be making B$s before they too come off patent in the 2030 time frame

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: Novartis Expansion

This is the only image I got on account of me changing my walking route...whoops!

 

[crash575]

Re: Novartis Expansion

Fancy fence and the official groundbreaking should be soon.

 

[crash575]

Re: Novartis Expansion

"Novartis breaks ground on Maya Lin-designed campus"
Boston Herald
By Marie Szaniszlo
Thursday, April 12, 2012

Novartis yesterday broke ground on a new 550,000-square-foot Cambridge campus designed by Maya Lin, who rose to fame when she came up with the idea for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at age 21 and went on to become one of the most prominent architects of the 21st century.

Continues...

Hopefully things will pick up speed now.

 

[crash575]

Re: Novartis Expansion

Prep work continues at the Novartis site. They are excavating a trench around the perimeter.

 

[stellarfun]

Re: Novartis Expansion

I believe all the blue-painted equipment is Schnabel (Foundations).

 

[crash575]

Re: Novartis Expansion

From what I understand the construction is using both sheet piles and a soil mix wall system (a slurry wall technique).

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Re: Novartis Expansion

That would make sense, this is filled in land afterall.

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: Novartis Expansion

 

[crash575]

Re: Novartis Expansion

The soil mix wall is almost complete and they completely removed the foundation of the Analog Devices building (now a pond!). Site excavation should be starting soon.

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: Novartis Expansion

Today...excavation sure is taking a while:

 

[crash575]

Re: Novartis Expansion

Not much has changed. It looks like environmental remediation is going on with parts of site fenced off and tarped over.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Novartis Expansion

Not much has changed. It looks like environmental remediation is going on with parts of site fenced off and tarped over.

Crash -- not totally surprising

It as Big project with a lot of complexity being built on a site with a lot of industrial history for over 100 years

further the standards for remediation which might have been adequate when ADI built on the site, today are probably inadequate -- especially as part of the site will be park-like

 

[crash575]

Re: Novartis Expansion

You're right the pre-ADI use of this site was rather interesting (much like every other city lot!).

Park "like" is the keyword. The park will be about forty to sixty feet above the level of the excavated soil. They're planning three levels of parking combined a multistory underground facility. Every square inch of the lot will be used below grade.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Novartis Expansion

You're right the pre-ADI use of this site was rather interesting (much like every other city lot!).

Park "like" is the keyword. The park will be about forty to sixty feet above the level of the excavated soil. They're planning three levels of parking combined a multistory underground facility. Every square inch of the lot will be used below grade.

Crash from the MIT Tech Blog

site diagram

render of the courtyard

view from Mass Ave into the courtyard when the complex is open

view along Mass Ave showing retail

 

[crash575]

Re: Novartis Expansion

Whighlander- The special permit goes into more detail than the MIT Tech.

Here is an excerpt of the B1 site plan. Showing the extent of the new buildings' underground footprint and the existing basement of 211 Mass Ave (teal rectangle at the bottom left). The space between is about the size of the now closed Smart Street that used to occupy that area. I believe the excavation isn't closer to 211 Mass Ave so as not to damage the historic building.

Regardless there will be a nice park in the end. Although I question why 50% of the above ground use is parkland.

 

[whighlander]

Re: Novartis Expansion

...
Regardless there will be a nice park in the end. Although I question why 50% of the above ground use is parkland.

Crash -- If you read the remarks of Fishman, the guy Novartis hired to lead its US and ultimately global research -- he wanted from the beginning to deliver something "non-corporate" -- but a nice place to do research. That's why he personally went after Maya Lin and why she accepted the commission

“The idea is to have the New England stone wall come out of the landscape and gently float up’’ to balance the generous amounts of glass used elsewhere in the complex, Lin said. “We’re trying to create something almost more campuslike in scope and feel. It’s very noncorporate.’

 

[crash575]

Re: Novartis Expansion

I'm also sure the park helped the special permit get approved along with the

"... $1 million in benefit money in four phases tied to passage of the zoning amendment and to issuing of permits.

Cambridge Chronicle
Jun 30, 2011

It's a game. The city under zones sites and to play the corporations have to give something back.

 

[crash575]

Re: Novartis Expansion

Excavation is going full speed ahead with 100+ truckloads leaving the site daily. They've got three truck loading station. After a slow start their down to 15-20 feet. The site perimeter has been extended onto Osborn Street for the primary truck entrance and exit.

They're also doing facade repair at the 250 Mass Ave building between 220 Mass Ave along the Mass Ave front.

I have a ton of pics of this and the 610 Main Street site but I haven't had a chance to upload them.

 

[tmac9wr]

Re: Novartis Expansion

Thanks man!