A Showcase Space: Arup Boston by Dyer Brown Architects

The collaborative dining lounge at Arup in Boston. Photography: Darrin Hunter

At 60 State Street, the new Arup offices in downtown Boston represent arguably the strongest sustainable statement a building can make to the modern world.

Designed by Dyer Brown Architects and opened in December 2016, the new 16,000+ square foot offices have recently received Gold certification under the WELL Building Standard™, in addition to achieving LEED v4 ID+C Platinum.

This isn’t unexpected from Arup, a firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists “working across every aspect of today’s built environment” to the beat of a “Shaping a better world” drum. Even so, this project moves beyond that reputation in its tenacity to put both human and environmental wellbeing in a top tier all its own.

The project achieved a few notable WELL certification accolades ahead of many…according to the WELL Building Institute, Arup Boston is the first WELL Certified project in New England; the first WELL Certified project with dynamic circadian lighting controls; the fourth WELL Gold project in the U.S.; and the 14th WELL Gold project globally. It also earned a Fitwel 3 Stars certification, a new standard created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the GSA and administered by the Center for Active Design.

“Arup was very interested in pursuing that sustainability story and identity,” noted Jennifer Taylor, senior project manager at Dyer Brown, in an interview regarding the project. “The sustainability goals were things Arup had determined before Dyer Brown became a part of the team; from the beginning, they wanted to be at the cutting edge of sustainable requirements – to show their clients what they’re capable of doing.”

During extensive visioning sessions, which all 60 Arup Boston staff members were encouraged to participate in, Dyer Brown and Arup explored the possibilities found in other companies’ spaces, as well as other Arup locations. The sessions helped push the design team toward creating an office that would achieve both LEED and WELL certification.

Arup also wanted its new Boston office to become a home for all of the best-practice design qualities it uses to help its own clients and visitors. They wanted their office to use these best practices to not only champion employee wellbeing and environmental sustainability, but also inspire and educate like-minded clients and collaborators.

“Showcase – that was a word that kept coming up in all of our visioning and planning sessions,” noted Ms. Taylor. “Design, materiality, certifications, ephemerality, texture, community; there was a lot of wrangling to find the right balance among all of those things.”

In the building, an office tower completed in 1977, the design team found both assets and challenges – the latter particularly in achieving WELL and LEED certifications.

“For example, heavy tint on the exterior windows lowered the conducted energy model and rendered some LEED requirements unattainable, but designers compensated by integrating other sustainable design features such as an HVAC system with advanced metering to gauge performance,” read the project description.

“In some ways it was a difficult building to work with; the age of the building, and the challenge of the angles on the interior,” said Karen Bala, senior architect at Dyer Brown. “On the positive side were the views and an abundance of natural light.”

Arup Boston was designed around an “active movement” concept, infusing the space with active design layouts that naturally prompt employees to do their work in a less sedentary manner.

Dyer Brown developed its design strategy around an “active movement” concept, infusing the space with active design layouts that naturally prompt employees to do their work in a less sedentary manner. For example, the pantry landed in a space near the reception area so that it could also be used as a meeting space, whether between staff members or to host more informal client meetings.

“They wanted people to walk around and experience the space,” said Ms. Taylor. “We wanted to make sure people were moving through the space in intuitive ways, and a lot of things we did were to generate that movement.”

An open, non-hierarchical layout permeates the entire space, with just four private offices and expansive glass partitions being punctuated by distinct amenity areas, including a large pantry, a lounge for informal interaction, and a wellness room for meditation, yoga, etc.

In addition to equipping 100% of staff with adjustable sit-stand desks (surpassing the WELL requirement of 30%), the design team took sit-stand abilities to the next level by incorporating standing meeting rooms and standing work areas. The office also offers bike parking, showers and locker rooms for bike/run commuters, along with multiple nearby mass transit options – all encouraging a more active work experience.

Dyer Brown also used the visioning session to gauge how best to support the Arup staff’s work style.

“They’re a very focused group, and very deadline-driven,” noted Ms. Taylor. “Every individual work area is assigned, but the private offices are set up to accommodate collaborative functions as well.

“And in their previous office, they felt they didn’t have enough spaces to float to once away from their workstation or office. Employees can now float to open collaborative seating, heads-down tech-free focus areas, or conference rooms; which they wanted more of.”

The pantry and dining lounge lands in a space near the reception so that it could also be used as a meeting zone, whether for meetings between staff members or to host more informal client meetings.

The design team chose Teknion workstations after considering the staff’s work style and the demanding material requirements for the certifications.

“The Teknion product was both beautiful and sustainable,” said Ms. Bala. “And we found that they had the most transparency about sourcing for the materials, which we needed for the certification standards we were going after. Interface and ECOS Paints were other companies we found very easy to work with. We had an especially challenging time finding paints that fulfilled all of the certification requirements, and ECOS Paints was the only one we found we could use.”

The challenges designers face in complying with the certification requirements add a significant amount of time to the life of a project. Dyer Brown smartly designed those challenges into its project schedule.

An open, non-hierarchical layout fills the space, with just four private offices.

“The design team allocated time for researching materials and testing products on-site, for working with building facilities and maintenance staff on changes to operations procedures required under the WELL standard, and for collaborative meetings with contractors and subcontractors to ensure the desired result,” read the project description. “Still, this innovative workplace was delivered on schedule and within the proposed construction budget. Additional responsibilities for the design team included training staff on the benefits and use of sustainable-design office features, and assessment of the project’s impact post-occupancy.”

“We couldn’t anticipate everything,” said Ms. Taylor. “And we were trying a lot of new products and new strategies to find creative solutions for the certifications.”

To meet the WELL Building Standard, the design team also incorporated green building features like water filtration, furniture and finishes with minimal VOCs and contaminants, and advanced metering for HVAC.

These green building features “dovetailed well with Arup’s goal of creating a space that showcases their own engineering systems for their clients to see.”

In that regard, lighting was a major focal point. In addition to Dyer Brown taking full advantage of expansive windows and minimal columns to provide views for every employee, Arup’s engineers designed an all-inclusive, state-of-the-art circadian lighting system that simulates the way sunlight naturally changes throughout the day. The system features tunable LED fixtures that mimic natural daily light cycles, improving occupant health and productivity through biophilic design.

“Arup is a very flat organization,” noted Ms. Taylor. “The group felt strongly that views to the outside should be open and shared among the full team.”

Aesthetically Dyer Brown chose to play to Arup’s strengths by providing a clean canvas that would support the lighting in the project. Wood, stone and concrete are plentiful in the space, with more muted, neutral finishes serving as a backdrop for other design qualities ­ ‑ lighting in particular.

In addition to equipping 100% of staff with adjustable sit-stand desks (surpassing the WELL requirement of 30%), the design team took sit-stand abilities to the next level by incorporating standing meeting rooms and standing work areas.

“We were trying to find the right materials that would soften under natural light. And they have a 10-year lease on this space, so we wanted to provide that neutral backdrop that could stand the test of time and change.”

Arup’s new Boston home is one that will serve its occupants well twofold – by supporting its own employees’ wellbeing and by supporting the company’s goal to “shape a better world” for its own clients.