BioMed (XMBLY) | 5 Middlesex Ave | Assembly SQ | Somerville

[DZH22]

It's 225' high, but a whopping 318' wide. So basically another massive wall. I feel like I'm screaming into the void at this point. Personally, I don't think we should ever build another building wider than it is tall in Boston, Cambridge, or Somerville. With the current demand levels, that time should have passed. I'm tired of these absolutely oppressive proportions. We're taking down the Government Center garage but haven't learned anything about why it was so hated in the first place, and even that will eventually be replaced with something worse (the lab). It's all so uninspiring. You'd think at least the residentials would be going to the FAA limit all over the city, but even those are often wider than they are tall. I just don't understand how the people in charge can look at these proportions and think this looks good.

 

[goldenretrievers]

Assembly Innovation Park | Life Science Development

AssemblyInnovationPark_Brochure2021.pdf

 

[Czervik.Construction]

Isn't this a lab building? Can't really go much taller.

It's 225' high, but a whopping 318' wide. So basically another massive wall. I feel like I'm screaming into the void at this point. Personally, I don't think we should ever build another building wider than it is tall in Boston, Cambridge, or Somerville.

 

[DZH22]

Isn't this a lab building? Can't really go much taller.

Blackfan went almost 350' in 2008 and the Ames Street one in Cambridge is about 280' from 2013. They could absolutely go taller, and nobody put a gun to their heads and said it has to be one single building that's as wide as a football field!

 

[Czervik.Construction]

I am with you, more Blackfans are needed, but you bring up the tallest lab building in the city.

The Ames example at 280' is actually only a few floors (assuming 15' per floor) taller than this one. Developer might think this area is still a little speculative (lol) and went wider vs taller.

Blackfan went almost 350' in 2008 and the Ames Street one in Cambridge is about 280' from 2013. They could absolutely go taller, and nobody put a gun to their heads and said it has to be one single building that's as wide as a football field!

 

[Arlington]

Well it looks like the tallest is only about 250', so they're leaving half of their potential on the table in that respect.

Yes, in respect of airspace there's a shortfall. But there are other respects (and I'll recap them here, though we have a "why aren't they taller thread)
- Firefighting and public safety, where ladder trucks reach about 120' max.
- Elevator cost, space wasted on vertical shafts (Or more rope and higher speed and more operating costs)
- Utility piping cost, space wasted on vertical shafts and lifting water.
- Streetwall: you can activate more street with more-but-shorter buildings (ask Paris)
- Tenant preference: Nobody likes long elevator waits nor long elevator rides.

 

[BeeLine]

IMG_7724 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_7726 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_7729 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr