Project Overview
415 Main Street is a prominent eight-story building in Boston Housing’s Class A Office and Research and Development space. Originally constructed in 2005, the building underwent significant enhancements in 2014 with the inauguration of a 375,000-square-foot research building at 75 Ames Street, part of which is occupied by The Broad Institute. With an increasing number of occupants and the need to modernize its infrastructure, the building management initiated a total upgrade project consisting of the replacement of all roof levels and the modernization of the fire alarm system.
The roof upgrade involved the removal and disposal of the existing PVC roofing assemblies, which were replaced with new PVC roofing assemblies and accessories. The project also included necessary modifications to the associated perimeter and roof penetration flashings, as well as adjustments to rooftop steel components. Old PVC roofing assemblies were removed to install the new roofing assemblies and accessories. All work meets code requirements for thermal and drainage performance, covering an area of approximately 26,000 square feet.
The fire alarm system upgrade necessitated pre-testing, verifying, and identifying all devices and equipment to be removed and replaced. Additionally, the project encompassed the verification of system operation and programmed sequences, equipment upgrades, device replacements, complete functional testing, and final acceptance testing to ensure full compliance with safety standards.
Solutions
During the project execution, the team encountered several challenges, primarily related to ensuring minimal disruption to the building occupants and operations. Coordination with the building management and occupants was crucial to mitigate any inconveniences during the upgrade process. Additionally, adherence to stringent safety regulations and building codes posed inherent challenges that required meticulous planning and execution.
Results
The Broad Institute community is defined as the nearly 3,000 Broad Institute employees and affiliated personnel coming together from every corner of the world and every area of research that touches biomedicine. G. Greene successfully managed this large project without impacting the entire facility’s flow and function by ensuring their critical work was never interrupted. The roof was left weather-tight at the end of each shift, and the fire alarm was fully operational at the end of each day of work.
