Donut-shaped terrace adds a twist to science facility design

by tanya_martins | May 13, 2025 8:43 am

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A V-shaped research facility in Cambridge, Mass., features a donut-shaped terrace and green roofs covered with sedum.

The Ragon Institute is a partnership between Mass General, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Harvard University, and serves as a hub for research on infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and COVID-19.

Totaling 30,008 m² (323,000 sf), the building is designed by local architecture studio Payette.

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The facility has five levels and an underground parking garage. The building follows the shape of the site and is roughly V-shaped in plan. The upper levels cantilever over a base level, resulting in a floating effect.

The base portion of the building features earthy materials, such as quartzite and anodized copper. The upper part was designed to be soft and light and is wrapped in glass and vertical aluminum fins.

The main entrance features a courtyard with a rounded garden. Sheltering the courtyard is a canopy structure with a large oculus, enabling daylight to penetrate below. Atop the canopy is a green roof and a donut-shaped terrace.

The inside of the building features a tall, multistory atrium with curvy lines, a spiral staircase, and a large skylight.

Given that the building is within a 100-year flood zone, it has been elevated above the floodplain and protective measures have been taken for the below-grade garage to mitigate extreme weather events.

The building also incorporates a water-reuse system, capturing water from the laboratory water-purification system and mechanical system for reuse in irrigation, site water features and a cooling tower.

Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/donut-shaped-terrace-adds-a-twist-to-science-facility-design/

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