Boston Innovation + Design Building: Redeveloped and Engineered, with Insight on the Digitized Urban Environment

Open Access
- Author:
- O'neill, Sean Eric
- Area of Honors:
- Architectural Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Architectural Engineering
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Richard George Mistrick, Thesis Supervisor
Richard George Mistrick, Thesis Honors Advisor
Kevin William Houser, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- Architecture
Architectural Engineering
Lighting Design
Boston
Combined Heat and Power
CHP
Photo-voltaic
BIM
Renovation - Abstract:
- This thesis explores several areas of design engineering and redevelopment through an intensive study of the Innovation and Design Building in Boston Massachusetts. Areas of study include a lighting assessment and redesign, an electrical study of the cost implications of photovoltaics to this project, a mechanical study of the design and payback of using combined heat and power (CHP) on-site, and a construction management study outlining a proposal for Jamestown, the building owner, to incorporate BIM strategies for facilities maintenance, operation and asset management. Lastly, an exploration of the greater development of the Boston Marine Industrial Park leads to a transformative proposal, exploring what new narratives arise with changing perceptions of the future urban canvas. Lighting redesign focuses on four main spaces within the IDB building: the Exterior Main Entry, Promenade, Elevator Lobby, and the Jamestown Management Office. Design is carried out through conceptual redevelopment, design development, and assessment of the proposed solutions. The electrical and mechanical studies will focus on 21, 23, and 25 Drydock Avenue, existing addresses within the IDB building owned and leased by Jamestown. The Construction Management study provides insight from collected research on the applicability, cost implications, and steps required in order to integrate BIM into a project’s cycle. Lastly, the Area of Honors focuses on combined research and development of interconnected ideas about the developing future of the urban environment. The study approaches technology as an additional urban layer, combining with physical space to alter function and form from a social standpoint. Through these comprehensive studies, the proposed design and engineering solutions offer greater energy efficiency, significantly lowering the carbon footprint of the Boston Innovation and Design Building.