Virtual Design and Construction technology utilized to design incubator space to support research and development

SGA, a tech-forward architecture and interior design firm based in Boston and New York,is pleased to announce they have designed The Engine, a new accelerator facility for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The SGA team, led by founding partner Jeff Tompkins, completely renovated the interior of a classic Cambridge building into a lab for transformative technologies.

The 26,000 square-foot innovation hub is located in Kendall Square, ground zero for chemical research and often referred to as "the most innovative square mile on the planet," referring to the high concentration of entrepreneurial start-ups and reputation for innovation. The development accelerator will serve students, professors, and local entrepreneurs committed to societal impact through scientific and technological breakthroughs.

Development Accelerator for MIT

The Engine, jointly backed by MIT and additional venture capital funding, including Massachusetts luminaries such as Robert Kraft, will support “tough” technologies, ones that are slow to develop and often take years to bring in revenue, including robotics, manufacturing, medical devices, and energy. Located at 501 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, MA,it will provide technical facilities, financial stability, specialized equipment, streamlined business services, connections to influential alumni, and experts in a variety of fields, both in the main space and through an online marketplace. Startups with a revolutionary idea can apply to MIT to gain access to these facilities and services.

The Future of the American Business Model

“This is an exciting sector for SGA. We continue to utilize our experience working with industry-leading research and development accelerators such as MIT’s The Engine and Autodesk’s BUILD Space,” said Jeff Tompkins IIDA, LEED AP. “SGA has significant experience in all aspects of “Plug and Play Labs,” with the expertise to organize for maximum flexibility, and an understanding of the life sciences sector and how labs operate. This project is indicative of the future direction of the everyday company, designing a facility that will support all aspects of the business from research to production to marketing, the “Amazonization” of the American business model.”

SGA –Industry Leader in VDC Technology

“To help MIT envision the space and expedite stakeholder decisions, SGA’s designers virtually rendered The Engine’s reception, café and training areas,” said SGA Partner Adam Spagnolo. ”SGA’s mission embodies tech-forward design that redefines how projects are visualized and delivered, which is why we have invested in Virtual Design and Constructiontechnology as part of our core offering.”

The company has been a champion of Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) technology for the past ten years, creating a variety of projects including the Autodesk BUILD (Building, Innovation, Learning, and Design) Space in Boston, MA and the 50+60 Binney St. project, in Cambridge, MA, which was awarded a 2017 Project of the year award by ENR New England. As the technology becomes more common, the company plans to continue to lead the way in its implementation in construction projects.

The Engine is one of several projects SGA has recently completed or under construction that reinforce Cambridge’s position as a global center for technological development and scientific research. World Headquarters for Biogen Idec at 225 Binney, and 50+60 Binney Street, a hybrid lab-office space designed for biopharmaceutical tenants, are two projects undertaken to form The Alexandria Center in Kendall Square, a cluster of life science facilities. The ARC, a life science lab building project owned by Davis Companies, will spread the innovation ecosystem of Kendall Square into the Alewife neighborhood of West Cambridge when completed in 2019.

About SGA

SGA is an architecture, interior design, planning, Virtual Design and Construction, and branded environments practice founded in 1991. Winner of the 2018 Fast Company “Most Innovative Companies” award for architecture, SGA embodies tech-forward design that redefines how projects are visualized and delivered.With over 70 professionals in Boston and New York, SGA’s team-first approach, and trademark creativity, has resulted in over 450M SF of successful and innovative commissions. www.sga-arch.com

About The Engine

The Engine is a new accelerator facility for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), developed with the mission to help founders bring their scientific discoveries in tough technologies into the world and commercialize them at scale. The Engine provides funding, facilities, services, and partner networks to build the next generation of tough tech companies. The Engine bridges the gap between discovery and commercialization by empowering disruptive technologies with the long-term capital, knowledge, and specialized equipment and labs they need to thrive, helping founders build the next generation of world-changing companies. http://www.engine.xyz/