Renovating a dated lobby and cafe space to give the building an innovative community co-working feel

117 Kendrick Street

Built in 1995, 117 Kendrick Street is a 213,000 square foot (19,788 square metre) office building in the N-Squared Innovation District that needed updating. The Bulfinch Companies turned to our team to help create a vision for this dated space and transform it into a modern life science and research and development building. We helped to activate the common tenant spaces, giving the building a community co-working feel and enticing companies to seek space in the building.

We provided architecture and interior design services for the upgrades which included a newly renovated café/lounge, lobbies, and a space to enhance the tenant experience. The café, once dated with interrupted sightlines due to vending machines and dividing walls and overgrown planters, is now an expansive area filled with natural light and greenery with various seating options for eating, meeting, or working. Custom planters were designed by the team to keep a living element in the space while removing tall overgrown trees that were previously blocking the natural light from existing skylights. A fresh and energizing redesign of finishes and furniture foster community and create an inviting space for all different ways of working.

Since the renovations have been completed, many employees now use the building corridor for walking meetings, focused work outside their office space, and a walking track to get their steps in for the day.