While acquisitions firmly established ARE's position in New England, its expansion in Kendall Square relies heavily on new construction. In developing a plan for the area, Andy Reinach, ARE's vice president of development and construction, saw an opportunity to explore new approaches to design and construction.

"We're trying to push innovation with everyone on our teams," he says. "We challenge our teams—architects and contractors—to push the envelope on technology to see what we can do and learn on a project that hasn't been done before."

Reinach's first major opportunity came with construction of its 225 Binney Street project in Cambridge. The 305,212-sq-ft building, which broke ground in October 2011 and was completed in October 2013, is the world headquarters for Biogen Idec.

To help avoid scheduling and redesign issues, ARE partnered with the project team to implement a modified form of integrated project delivery. Consigli Construction, Milford, Mass., served as the construction manager. Spagnolo Gisness & Associates, Boston, was the core and shell architect, and Nelson was the tenant interiors architect. Tocci Building Co. was the owner's representative and served as the BIM manager, coordinating the various building information models that were required on the project.

Key subcontractors—including MEP, fire protection, steel and envelope firms—were tasked in design-assist roles. Mechanical engineers, for example, completed drawings at close to a design development level, then handed them off to the mechanical trades to complete and create fabrication models. To aid in this process, team members were required to participate in a co-location phase, where firms worked in the same location and collaborated regularly through direct communication up to four days per week.

The team estimates that the process saved more than $2.34 million. Its BIM coordination efforts significantly expedited decision-making and reduced field re-work, saving an estimated $148,000. Design-assist enabled early design changes that saved an estimated $1.2 million. Expedited fabrication of mechanical duct and piping, enabled by the co-location phase, saved an estimated $151,800.

The team also estimates that prefabrication of curtain wall frames, duct risers, bathroom carriers and piping saved a combined $369,400.

In addition, the team estimates that total schedule was trimmed by seven months—a 20% reduction.