Six Ten @ MIT | 610 Main Street | Cambridge - Kendall Sq

Galactic said:
This building is going to be massive! What are people's thoughts on the contrasting styles between Pfizer's campus and Novartis? Obviously Novartis has a more prominent location on Main Street, but Pfizer's buildings are more noticeable from a distance.
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Wait till Baxter is a few years into its Cambridge presense
 
Galactic said:
This building is going to be massive! What are people's thoughts on the contrasting styles between Pfizer's campus and Novartis? Obviously Novartis has a more prominent location on Main Street, but Pfizer's buildings are more noticeable from a distance.
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Difference between an owner occupied building versus a leased building.

Novartis built their own headquarters, on leased land (99 year lease I believe). 610 is a "spec" lab building by a developer and leased to Pfizer.

Profit is king in the developer building, you might see a little more pride or identity in an owner occupied building.

MIT isn't going to pay extra to make it pretty unless Pfizer pays the difference.

Edit - Novartis isn't on Main Street. Their main presence is on Mass Ave. 610 is right on Main. 610 North I quite large. The setback at level 4 helps. The retail along Main Street will be nice as well.
 
SeamusMcFly said:
Difference between an owner occupied building versus a leased building.

Novartis built their own headquarters, on leased land (99 year lease I believe). 610 is a "spec" lab building by a developer and leased to Pfizer.

Profit is king in the developer building, you might see a little more pride or identity in an owner occupied building.

MIT isn't going to pay extra to make it pretty unless Pfizer pays the difference.

Edit - Novartis isn't on Main Street. Their main presence is on Mass Ave. 610 is right on Main. 610 North I quite large. The setback at level 4 helps. The retail along Main Street will be nice as well.
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Seamus -- MIT's real estate arm is the developer of 610 Mass Ave -- as such its as much of an MIT building as anything built outside of the academic core [bounded by Mass Ave to the west, Mem Dr. to the South, Ames St to the east and Vasser St to the north]

Eventually, MIT may want to take over all or a lot of 610 Mass Ave

on the other hand Novartis has obtained a ground lease from MIT and even including the historic Barto Building [the nursery of real-time computing with project Whirlwind]

But Novartis is also already on Mass Ave and also on Main St -- in Tech Square [the original MIT real estate development]

from the Novartis site:
http://www.cambridgecampus.novartis.us/project-description/index.html

NIBR Buildings
  • 186 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139
  • 220 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139
  • 250 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139
  • 45 Sidney Street Cambridge, MA 02139
  • 100 Technology Square Cambridge, MA 02139
  • 200 Technology Square Cambridge, MA 02139
  • 300 Technology Square Cambridge, MA 02139
  • 500 Technology Square Cambridge, MA 02139
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Not sure how much of the Tech Square space will be replaced by the new Mass Ave complex [550k sq ft @ 181 Mass Ave]
 
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The first setback on Main St. is extreme and the second is unnecessary.
 
Been one of the next dominoes to fall on my list.
I'm hoping for a nice high rise residential building using the odd shape of the lot to bring some new character to the area. And to take advantage of the height allotted to residential buildings in the area.

Not another cold lab with zero street activity. MIT seems to be getting the message lately about turning this into a more active street. We'll see.
 
kz1000ps said:
16942795053_4870bf6953_b.jpg
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Brad Plaid said:
The first setback on Main St. is extreme and the second is unnecessary.
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stellarfun said:
Those setbacks are probably a function of the FAR.
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I was walking by this morning and thought of Brad's comment about these setbacks. These extreme setbacks are very likely a concession to Newtowne Court public housing across Main St. A tremendous amount of southern sky would be blocked if this were right up to the street or missing the second setback. And it doesn't just affect a few units directly across the street, the second setback in particular gave appreciable extra blue (well, gray today) sky from 500 yards up the block. While the building looks awkward, the benefit to the northern side of Main St. is clear.
 
The second setback is nothing more than mechanical penthouse levels. Less for aesthetics than for building only what is needed. No reason to build penthouse levels to the whole floor plate of level 7 if nothing is in it. It's not a money maker, so don't build it.

Not sure about awkward, but I for one, prefer the odd shapes versus a cube on a block.
Breaks up the massing, and steps away from the street. Something we often ask for.

I'm also thinking the Main street setback is more about continuing the street wall on the even side of the street. Only a small step up from the Christmas wrapped brick building at Portland on the left and pretty close to the 3 storeys of 700 Main on the right. Instead of a big box between them.
 
I'm very glad to see the finished panels are orange instead of the standard light terra cotta we got at he south building. This area could use some orange.
 
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