BioMed Realty Builds Cambridge Life Science Hub for Takeda Pharmaceuticals

BioMed Realty is constructing a 637,000-sf life sciences facility in Cambridge for Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Designed by CBT Architects, the 16-story structure will provide advanced lab and office environments to accelerate the creation of innovative therapies and vaccines. Featuring flexible spaces to optimize in-person interaction and connection in a hybrid working model, the leased building furthers Takeda’s goal of unifying their Global R&D Center in Kendall Square.

Takeda's laboratories, collaboration spaces, and offices will span approximately 600,000 sf on the building's upper levels. Below, a 30,000-sf performance center for Global Arts Live will include a 7,500-sf, 400-seat theater, multipurpose venues for workshops and meetings, and an indoor garden. Supported by its own dedicated mechanical systems, this vibrant community destination will offer a two-story public lobby, dining amenities, a large rehearsal room, and administrative settings. 

Targeting LEED Gold certification, 585 Kendall incorporates numerous sustainability measures aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the Science-Based Targets initiative. The project was designed to reduce operational and embodied carbon as well as water consumption, and maximize resource efficiency while minimizing the building’s wider environmental impact. Powered by 100 percent renewable electricity, the biophilic facility is framed by a high-performance unitized curtainwall system and leverages curved façades to deliver natural light to interior spaces while mitigating wind effects. Strategic massing will reduce solar gain and unlock open space for public use.

Supported by a $683.1 million construction loan from Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, the development is being built by Suffolk Construction with McNamara Salvia as structural engineer. Cushman & Wakefield represented Takeda in the 15-year lease agreement, with CBRE representing BioMed Realty. Groundbreaking took place in October 2022, and occupancy is expected in 2026.