Entries in M.I.T. (11)

Wednesday
30Sep2009

MIT Dewey Library

map-lab was selected to provide architectural services for the MIT Dewey Library after working closely with facilities and library staff on a comprehensive study that raised a number of good design opportunities.
The design opens up the library and brings natural light to the basement level with the introduction of a new open stairway. On the second floor, the few existing windows that were formerly covered up by book stacks now filter natural light into the new meeting rooms, open study areas, and stack areas.
The project features many sustainable choices, including reuse of existing wood paneling, solar powered sink faucets, high efficiency lighting, recycled glass countertops, and compact shelving end panels made out of sunflower seed hulls.

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Wednesday
30Sep2009

MIT Stata Center Teaching Cluster

MIT hired map-lab to design a technologically advanced classroom in the Stata Center that would also be used by students as a 24-hour workspace, outside of regular class time. Because MIT wants to encourage students to work more collaboratively, this basement space needed to be welcoming. Cork flooring softens the room while the green soffit not only disguises the low ceiling in one area but adds an energy to the room with its shape and color. Located in the highly visible and “branded” Stata Center, this classroom incorporates Douglas Fir furniture and super graphics as a nod to the building’s Student Street.

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Wednesday
30Sep2009

MIT Alumni Pool Curtainwall

After years of exposure to chlorine and humidity in the natatorium, the Alumni Pool Curtainwall was in need of replacement. Because of its highly visible location next to the newly constructed Stata Center, it was desirable to upgrade the façade even though this was not included in the original scope of work for the Stata Center. The project team, led by David Silverman, drew up design options and after getting a cost estimate, discovered that it would cost a fraction of what had been previously thought, which made the Institute eager to proceed. By working closely with the Cambridge Historic Commission, a design was implemented that maintained the integrity of the International Style architecture while using more energy efficient materials that would protect against the harsh conditions inherent in the building.

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Wednesday
30Sep2009

MIT Stratton Student Center Reading Room

At the end of the schematic design phase, MIT hired map-lab to oversee the design process of Building W20’s Stratton Student Center Reading Room. map-lab helped define project parameters during the conceptual stages of the project as a member of the original project management team, which allowed map-lab to more effectively assist MIT with the bidding, contractor selection, and construction administration processes.
Once the project gained approval, map-lab managed the owner’s programmatic needs in part by involving students in the project and soliciting their feedback to ensure that the space would prove useful. This process helped map-lab discover that no existing furniture adequately satisfied the students’ needs, which led to one of the more interesting elements of the project - the custom carrels designed by Signer Harris Architects. By closely monitoring the fabrication and installation of the carrels, lockers, and audiovisual systems, map-lab was able to insure a timely delivery of these and other FF&E items, which allowed the project to finish on schedule for the start of the new academic year.

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Tuesday
29Sep2009

MIT Stata Center - Sustainable Design

During the early stages of the Stata Center Project, David Silverman, as a member of the project management team, advocated to make the building more environmentally friendly. The team worked closely with Skanska USA to establish environmental expectations for the project using the LEED [ Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ] checklist. Several initiatives were undertaken to meet the objectives of a certified LEED building: A storm water retention system with bio filtration was introduced to the project as a landscape feature, which reduced the amount of water being deposited to the city by recycling it as flushing water. A raised floor not only improved access to data cables and temperature control, but dramatically reduced the amount of energy required to cool the building. Skanska USA recycled 70% of their demolition debris and protected materials on site to meet the LEED responsibilities. The system developed by the project team to oversee and monitor the status of various requirements proved so effective, the LEED standards were soon required for all of MIT’s new construction projects. 

 

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Friday
25Sep2009

MIT Stata Center Student Street

The Student Street in the Ray and Maria Stata Center is a network of public spaces that winds through the ground floor of the building, encouraging social interaction and the exchange of ideas. The decision that the Student Street should be “owned” by the students themselves led David Silverman, as part of the Stata Center Project Management Team [SCPMT], to involve them in the design process through open forums where feedback was gathered and incorporated into the program and design. Further feedback was obtained from service providers in the space, such as the MIT Museum, Information Services, Food Services, and MIT Libraries, which helped focus the program requirements even more. The need for a unique operational model for this complex space led to the creation of an operational “map” which illustrated the building’s diverse usage patterns and helped communicate clearly to the clients how the Stata Center would function.

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Friday
25Sep2009

MIT Parson's Laboratory Lobby Renovations

map-lab was selected to design an entrance for the Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory at MIT that would take advantage of the adjacent plaza at the newly constructed Brain and Cognitive Science building. With the feedback generated from design meetings with faculty and directors of the Parsons Laboratory and representatives of the Department of Facilities, map-lab was able to create a new face to the building that blended the contemporary architecture of the Brain and Cognitive Science building with the existing architecture of the Parsons Laboratory.

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Tuesday
22Sep2009

MIT Forbes Cafe

The Forbes Cafe developed after a study showed that the growing population in the Northeast sector of MIT’s campus would require more food facilities. To accommodate this need, MIT reallocated space in the Stata Center for this purpose. Unfortunately, with construction already underway, the only space that could be utilized for the Cafe proved challenging, lacking access to core utilities or services. As members of the Stata Center Project Management Team (SCPMT), map-lab assisted in quickly creating a client team and developing a rigorous program that would create a comfortable, functioning space in keeping with the overall design while preserving the building’s original intent to foster interaction among the occupants.
With the support of the clients, a fast track, design-build delivery method with daily on-site coordination by all team members was critical to the success of the project. The strength of the team and the shared vision allowed for concise decision making which kept escalation costs and time demands under control.

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Tuesday
22Sep2009

MIT Dewey Library Planning

The Dewey Library, one of MIT’s five major libraries and the primary library serving MIT’s Sloan School of Management, wanted to “increase overall capacity and offer more services” to the community it serves. Working closely with MIT staff, project management and engineering consultants, map-lab led a study to identify areas of concern and provide possible solutions to help the Library meet its future goals and objectives.
map-lab generated a report proposing space improvements that addressed issues such as handicap accessibility, humidity control, acoustical absorption, and space limitations. Through relatively simple suggestions, such as the utilization of compact shelving and consolidation of office spaces, map-lab was able to increase square footage of study and computer areas by 60% and create an additional 4,500 SF of additional book storage space without major structural renovations. map-lab’s proposal to preserve the recently renovated circulation desk and center the design around its modern aesthetic demonstrated an attentiveness to design and an interest in protecting the owner’s bottom line.

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Thursday
17Sep2009

MIT Technology Children's Center

In an effort to promote a better work environment and maintain its competitive standing among other leading universities, MIT selected the Ray and Maria Stata Center as an advantageous site for a new childcare facility. This decision prompted David Silverman, as a member of the Stata Center Project Management Team [SCPMT] to create a program assessment for the new childcare center. In collaboration with Gehry Partners, the building architect, SCPMT selected a childcare architect, Gail Sullivan, to produce program documents and standards that would complement the master plan for the Stata Center. With the input of MIT clients and their constituents, as well as the close collaboration of the project team, Gail Sullivan created a space that, like the rest of the building’s design, provoked thought and exploration among its young occupants.

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Tuesday
01Sep2009

MIT Building 20 Exhibit

MIT wanted to commemorate the many achievements, which had taken place in Building 20, the “Magical Incubator”, where, during World War II, engineers developed the radar that would help win that war, and upon whose site the Ray and Maria Stata Center had been built. Members of map-lab, as part of the Stata Center Project Management Team [SCPMT] established a team including client representatives, exhibit designer, writer, and members of the MIT Museum to develop an exhibit that would honor the past and inspire new scientists in the Stata Center to carry on the tradition started by the Building 20 occupants.
While gathering historical information about Building 20, SCPMT discovered that the original radar dish developed by MIT engineers was located in a nearby storage facility, and incorporated it into the exhibit’s design, along with wood salvaged from the original building. The close coordination with the project team and structural engineer made for a smooth installation process and successful tribute to the Stata Center’s legacy.

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