BU Data Sciences Center | 665 Commonwealth Avenue | BU Central

Re: BU Data Sciences Center | 700 Commonwealth Avenue | Kenmore Square

shrink the floorplates by 50% and go up ten more floors.
Not viable -- this is an academic and research building -- you need large-ish floors to accommodate working groups which can grow
 
That's great, but streetwall-wise it's going to need some help from new surrounding buildings for better context. Right away, however, it will stand out in a disjointed way. To me (it's just opinion) this looks great from the river and awkward from Comm Ave. I look forward to seeing what new buildings will hopefully go up along that streetwall.

The street project with the bike lines/islands, etc. along Comm Ave has been impressive and I hope the architecture follows suit.

I don't think there's any new buildings coming. What you see is what you get as its flanked by existing structures on both sides. Further down the street BU may finally get rid of the old HoJo's and fill the empty lot next to it but that's down by Kenmore square.
 
I predict that within two years of completion BU will have to spend millions to retrofit this building to make it work.

Nice render

center-for-computing-and-data-sciences-NORM-LI_190708_E-V06-D-UPDATE-VF-00.jpg
 
People inside won’t have to worry about raising or lowering their shades to suit their individual needs. “The shades are fixed,” Carlberg says. “They prevent direct sun from entering the building during much of the day. They keep the sun’s energy out when you need to cool the building.” The external shades will prevent heat energy from entering the building, he says, and therefore less cooling will be needed during the summer.

1960s technology in action!

HP_FRESNO_COUNTY_COURTHOUSE_2
 
I predict that within two years of completion BU will have to spend millions to retrofit this building to make it work.
I get what you are saying, but this isn't 2003 anymore. High efficiency, renewable sourced building systems have been around for a while now. A lot (not all) of the early problems have been ironed out.
I doubt this building will be 100% successful and will probably require more than few tweaks and retrofits but
a. I assume they are expecting that as well and
b. failures will used for data collection for future buildings, which is fitting for an educational building, I think.
 
Most of the techniques mentioned in that article BU has already tested in other buildings. This one just brings it all together as a single cohesive effort. They've been doing thermal climate control in several buildings for well over a decade, so I'm sure they've worked out the kinks in this and the other ideas already.
 
I love the thank you in that post. Like they're thanking them for being carbon neutral. No its because you're the one that got the business, you dont give a shit about carbon neutral
 
BU posted a website with some very detailed renders and videos of the new building: https://www.bu.edu/data-sciences-center/index.html. Groundbreaking is taking place tomorrow at 3 PM.


Mostly like it. I wish they broke up the diagonals on the first few levels on Comm Ave. Maybe have a gap in the middle with just glass or switch directions half way so it didn't seem so much like a land scraper.
 
It's interesting how higher quality renders bring out the love. I have always thought this was a pretty good building, but maybe the wrong location. But I suspect by the time it is nearing completion, it will seem a perfect fit.
 

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