Northeastern University to Expand with New Research Building

By Veronica Grecu, Associate Editor

The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) unanimously approved a $1.6 billion master plan for development proposed by Northeastern University in which the institution describes its need for new buildings and renovation projects at the existing structures for the next decade.

Northeastern University Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building

Northeastern’s newly approved 2013-2023 Institutional Master Plan (IMP) outlines 11 development projects including academic and research spaces, housing for undergraduates, athletic facilities, parking, as well as administrative and recreation spaces for the growing number of students.

As described in the IMP, Northeastern will be primarily focused on completing a 197,000-square-foot Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB) that will occupy a 3.5-acre surface parking lot at 795 Columbus Avenue. The facility will provide research, office and student space for the university’s College of Science, the College of Engineering, the Bouvé College of Health Science and the College of Computer and Information Science.

According to the project designed by Payette Associates, the boomerang-shaped building will have a basement, six stories above grade, and a mechanical penthouse. The plans also include a suspended footbridge over the railroad tracks that will serve as a link between the building (on its second floor) and the remainder of the Northeastern campus and provide further access to Roxbury and Fenway. There will also be a public café at the ground floor level and a 280-seat auditorium spanning floors 1 and 2.

Designed as a mixed-use facility consisting of research, office and student space, the $225 million ISEB will create around 630 new construction jobs and 700 full-time jobs for faculty and staff members. The project’s current target is LEED Gold.

According to Boston.com, construction at the ISEB building will be completed by the end of 2013. This will be Northeastern’s first project to kick off as part of the new, decade-long development master plan.

Rendering credits to Payette Associates