Boston

Key Players

Owner Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Architect Elkus Manfredi Architects

General Contractor Structure Tone

The 308,000-sq-ft, 14-floor fit-out needed to be completed on time to allow the smooth transition of 1,000 employees to the new space. With limited laydown areas available at the urban site, a 300-ton crane was erected on one of Boston’s busiest streets. Existing interiors were replaced with workspaces designed in sit-to-stand configurations, walk-stations, a wellness center and a full-service cafeteria. Ninety percent of the walls are demountable, so they can be reconfigured as the company changes and grows. Close collaboration between the design team and owners helped reduce total space needs by 60,000 sq ft, allowing the project to be completed one month early and under budget.

The headquarters achieved LEED Gold certification. Sustainable elements include abundant natural light, complete LED lighting and daylight and occupancy controls for the majority of lighting.

The team faced several challenges on this job that needed to be considered under its safety plan. Together with the building owner and Boston’s police and transportation departments, Structure Tone scheduled crane work with minimal disruption to the community—helping to reduce potential risks. During the project’s 970,000 work hours, the project logged a lost-time incident rate of 0.41.