MIT Infill Building Dedicated

[whighlander]

I just attended the dedication {on Friday afternoon} of the PDSI project at MIT that replaced a former courtyard surrounded by buildings with a glass canopied infill structure. PDSI => {P=Physics Department and the Center for Theoretical Physics; D= Department of Materials Science -- that mostly surrounds the new space; S= Spectroscopy Laboratory -- located in the basement; I = Infrastructure -- a bunch of HVAC, Electrical stuff to support further renovation to the adjacent buildings

The new structure is called Building 6C and it is completely surrounded by exiting core MIT Buildings designed by William Wells Bosworth {6 on the East; 4 to the West and 8 to the North; 2 to the South} that make up the neoclassical complex surrounding the Main Dome

Building 6C is a very interesting structure of 49,000 sq. ft., incorporating a free-standing four story building connected to the existing buildings by bridges at various levels. The whole former courtyard is roofed by a glass canopy forming a large atrium at the ground level that wraps around two sides of the central structure.

Project Team
Project Managers/MIT John Hawes and Milan Pavlinic
Architects Payette Associates
Program Planner Imai/Keller/Moore
MEP Engineers SEi
Structural Engineers Weidlinger Associates
Construction Manager Richard White Sons


See the website for some views
http://web.mit.edu/facilities/construction/completed/pdsi.html

 

[stellarfun]

^^ In the MIT picture of the new building and its setting, I note the one-story 'shack' (I use the word pejoratively) in the foreground. The building that looks like its 50 years old and has electrical junction boxes as wall ornaments. Why is that still standing? (I realize that may be a rhetorical question.)


On a separate note, MIT has four major buildings under construction; all of good size. These are the 275,000 sq ft graduate residence hall (Ashdown House?), the 360,000 sq ft cancer research lab, the expansion of the Sloan School of Mgmt (215,000 sq ft), and the expansion of the Media Lab (163,000 sq ft). I think these merit separate pins on the archBOSTON google map.

 

[Ron Newman]

i believe the view in the photo is from an interior courtyard, with no access to the outside (except through one of the surrounding buildings).

 

[whighlander]

The shack is a facility for storage of solvents

It is potentially vulnerable to fire and explosion due to its contents

It formerly was even more remotely located in the interior courtyard

I'm sure if there is more infill in that courtyard -- it will be removed

Westy