Seaport Circle’s Training Pavilion: Transforming Boston's Life Science Industry Through Health, Innovation, and Equity

Best in Building HealthHealthy Building ProfilesStrategies & Solutions
Written By Kenneth Einhorn

Seaport Circle: Pavilion | View from Pedestrian Link
Photo Courtesy of Arrowstreet

AT A GLANCE

Award: Single-Tenant Building v2.1 (Design)

Certification Project Teams: Lincoln Property Company, Arrowstreet, STUDIO ENÉE, Soden Sustainability with Kelley Tapio of Samskara Studio

Project: Seaport Circle: Pavilion

Location: Boston, MA

Kelley Tapia
Founder, Soden Sustainability with
Samskara Studio

Natasha Espada
Founding Principal,
STUDIO ENÉE, Design and Architect of Record for the Seaport Circle Pavilion

Scott Brown
Executive Vice President, Lincoln Property Company

As part of our 2024 Best in Building Health winner series, we're highlighting the Training Pavilion at Seaport Circle in Boston. This forward-looking design project aims to transform the life sciences industry, establish a new standard for sustainable and health-focused design, and provide equitable educational and economic opportunities for the surrounding community.

Seaport Circle is designed to transform Boston's life science industry by advancing health, well-being, and economic opportunities through the built environment. As a self-sustained ecosystem on the city’s waterfront, the building complex offers tenants advanced labs and workspaces in a vibrant, accessible location. Nestled within Seaport Circle is the Training Pavilion, a unique community and jobs training hub that collaborates with local educational institutions to establish STEM partnerships. It also focuses on curating programs specifically designed for students and community residents, providing access to jobs and community connections.

The unique expertise and driving motivations of the inspiring project teams are shared below.

What motivated the project teams to pursue Fitwel?
KT: The teams were driven by a commitment to occupant health and well-being, aiming to set a new standard in sustainable and health-focused design. Our approach showcases how intentionally built architecture can significantly improve people’s health and environmental sustainability.

What advice would you give a team who is considering adopting Fitwel for the first time?
KT: Integrate health and well-being principles from the project's inception. Start with a clear vision that prioritizes occupant health and sustainability, ensuring these values are embedded in every aspect of the design and operation. Collaboration and communication are vital; engage with all stakeholders early, including design teams, clients, and users, to align goals and expectations. You can then leverage Fitwel's guidelines as a roadmap to help navigate the certification process and implement evidence-based health-promoting strategies. The certification journey is an opportunity to innovate and push boundaries in healthy building practices, keeping the well-being of occupants at the forefront of design and operational decisions.

How does Fitwel support and enhance your efforts related to the 'S' or 'Social' pillar in ESG?
NE: Fitwel enhances the pavilion's social and environmental strategies, and was created to increase job access in the life science industry for historically marginalized populations. The pavilion will host programs by local biomedical training organizations, serving as a classroom and lab training space. It will primarily benefit three groups: adult students training in the life science industry, teachers preparing the workforce for life science careers, and administrative groups overseeing the life science and job training programs.

The pavilion is at the forefront of Boston's racial and economic equity efforts, serving as a pilot program for other cities to replicate. This project promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion through joint ventures in all phases of the project, from design to implementation, encompassing teams from development, construction, design, and property management. 

What are your ESG goals and how have they evolved in response to market demand and regulations?
SB: Lincoln is focused on educating our teams and clients about sustainability and implementing ESG best practices across the properties we develop and manage. Our Boston project team has prioritized efficient, sustainable, and health-promoting design while creating innovative, collaborative spaces for future tenants at Seaport Circle and the surrounding community. We will continue to evolve our ESG strategy to meet the needs of our clients and tenants, comply with regulations, and contribute to increasing sustainability in the commercial real estate industry.

Seaport Circle: Pavilion | Student Space
Photo Courtesy of Studio ENEE

Seaport Circle: Pavilion
Photo Courtesy of Studio ENEE

What remains your company's greatest challenge to accomplishing – and generating value from – its ESG strategy?
SB: There is still a lot of work to do across the commercial real estate industry to educate about ESG and the important role the built environment plays in contributing to a sustainable future for our communities. The good news is that progress is being made every day, in large part thanks to projects like Seaport Circle that set an example for how to implement ESG best practices and achieve tangible results that are good for our communities, and good for business at the same time.

Who made this year’s Best in Building Health list? Visit fitwel.org/bibh and reserve your copy of our popular spin-off series, Building Health Issue #4.

About Lincoln Property Company
Lincoln Property Company (“Lincoln”) is one of the largest diversified real estate services companies with 35 offices across the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. Offering a comprehensive suite of real estate solutions, Lincoln manages, leases, develops, and provides advisory services to owners and occupiers of office, life science, retail, industrial, data center, production studio, and mixed-used properties. Lincoln's combined management and leasing portfolio on behalf of institutional clients includes approximately 500 million square feet of commercial space. In addition to providing third party real estate services, Lincoln, which was founded in 1965, has principally acquired and developed more than $24 billion and 62 million square feet of commercial projects since 2018. For more information, visit: www.lpc.com.

About Samskara Studio
Samskara Studio is a collaborative studio synthesising well-being and sustainability for the built environment—sustainable architecture. At the helm is Kelley Tapia, a visionary in the field of architecture with over 20 years of directing high-profile projects, who stands at the forefront of sustainable and regenerative design. A licensed architect with a deep-rooted passion for nature's genius, Kelley has dedicated her career to creating spaces that not only meet today's needs but also nurture future generations. Her journey in sustainable buildings is marked by a commitment to regenerative capacity - the belief that true sustainability enhances the ability of all living beings to co-evolve, thereby enriching our planet's diversity, complexity, and creativity. Learn more at www.samskarastudio.com. 

About Arrowstreet 
Since its inception in 1961, Arrowstreet has been a pioneer in designing to create a union between social, environmental, and economic benefits for the communities it touches. The firm’s work, primarily focused on commercial and institutional buildings and urban planning, has become synonymous with the ambition to reshape the building industry. Arrowstreet balances equity, resilience, and occupant wellness, in tandem with carbon and waste reduction to achieve holistically high-performing buildings. Learn more by visiting www.arrowstreet.com. 

About STUDIO ENÉE
STUDIO ENÉE is a registered Minority and Woman-Owned (MBE/WBE)  design firm with expertise in architecture, urban, and interior design. The firm’s work is committed to experiential and equitable architecture, the craft of building, and sustainable design. To learn more about STUDIO ENÉE, visit www.studioenee.com. 

About Soden Sustainability
Having achieved certification for over 100 green buildings, Soden Sustainability Consulting assists clients in setting goals and achieving various green building certifications. Certifications include LEED, WELL, Fitwel, CHPS, and Living Building Challenge. Learn more at sodensustainability.com.

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