MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing | Kendall Square | Cambridge

Update from MIT on the new building

Design progresses for MIT Schwarzman College of Computing building on Vassar Street
New building will create a hub for computing research and education at MIT, including spaces designed to be inviting to members of the campus community and the public.

Terri Park | MIT Schwarzman College of Computing
Publication Date:
January 26, 2021

Most relevant to our discussions comments from Daniel Huttenlocher, the Dean of the College

“The new building will serve as a hub for both disciplinary and interdisciplinary work in computing and collaboration at MIT. It will also contain inviting, community-oriented spaces where we can bring a mix of people together,” says Daniel Huttenlocher, dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing. “The middle floors of the building are designed for research groups and other parts of the college, while the lower floors and an event space on the top floor are oriented towards the MIT community and others more broadly.”

and some highlights of the design from SOM:

As seen in architectural renderings, the building’s transparent and outward-looking design will give passersby a direct view into the first two floors. These floors will offer multiple convening areas for the campus community and the public to come in and engage with the college, including a 250-seat lecture hall, a suite of student spaces for project-based work and tutoring, a café, and a variety of seating options for studying and social interactions.

The exterior’s shingled-glass façade creates a visual cue that differentiates the lower floors from the upper section. Research space will be concentrated on four floors, to house 50 new and existing faculty members working in computing and their research groups, including faculty from schools across MIT. Collaborative research spaces will be spread throughout those floors, including gathering areas that facilitate spontaneous interactions.

The building will also support other college activities such as the MIT Quest for Intelligence, and will include space for visitors and visiting scholars, as well as administrative areas. In addition, spaces in the building will accommodate cross-cutting areas of the college, currently the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing and the Common Ground for Computing Education.

An event space and an outdoor terrace are planned for the top floor of the building, which will offer views of the entire MIT campus, into Boston’s Back Bay, and portions of the Boston skyline.

Throughout the design process, the project team has made access and sustainability priorities and is aiming for a minimum of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for building and construction. Toward that goal, the south-facing side of the building will feature a double-skin façade constructed from state-of-the-art interlocking glass units that create a deep sealed cavity — a design solution that is expected to reduce energy consumption by approximately 27 percent over baseline double glazing units, providing greater improvement than a typical façade.

While not a "Tall" -- this will be an important building anchoring KSq

Still in the design phase with construction to begin in earnest this summer -- completion in 2023
 
Equilibria

In addition to the "full visuals" there is another link to a "Narrative Document" -- 45 pages of text and pictures which addresses some of the issues which have been in discussion for a while
PB370 Application Narrative
ARTICLE 19: PROJECT REVIEW SPECIAL PERMIT
MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing
Cambridge, Massachusetts
DECEMBER, 2020

temp_img_03.jpg
 
While passing by the site today, it appears that they’re installing micro piles now.
 
Several large foundation stubs located on the north side of the ROW. Will this building strattle the ROW??

Yes, absolutely. Complete details here (including confirmation that double tracking provision is maintained):

Specifically, this latest design presentation (worth a look) within above. A few of the renders from therein:

scc-111.png

scc-112.png

scc-113.png
 

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