Northeastern University has a long-term lease at the 177 Huntington Avenue Tower near their Boston campus. While a city icon, the historic building by I.M. Pei presents several design challenges, both architecturally and mechanically: a structural waffle slab dictates partition locations, an in-floor walker duct system constrains power and data placement, and concrete ducts and shafts restrict the airflow available per floor, which limits the number of enclosed spaces permitted.

This project consisted of a full renovation of floors 5 and 6, at 6,500-square-feet each, tailored for the Khoury College of Computer Science Cybersecurity Group. Each floor includes private offices for professors, open office areas for post-docs and graduate students, conference spaces, open collaboration zones, lab spaces, and a kitchen/break area.

The 5th floor includes the Internet of Things lab, which is similar to a studio apartment. The Lab is equipped with smart appliances monitored by student groups. The remainder of the floor is centered on heads-down work with workstations and breakout spaces designed for focus tasks. The 6th floor hosts the Wireless Lab, which contains soldering stations and workbenches equipped for working on small wireless devices. The 6th floor also houses a large kitchen with collaboration space to create an open and active setting for students and professors to work through ideas.

With the mechanical limitations of the existing building, the sustainable focus of this LEED Silver project was placed on construction materials and finishes, such as drywall, framing, paint, and furniture selection, to achieve the necessary points for certification.