Genzyme Centre in Cambridge, US
The new administrative headquarters of the Genzyme biotechnology concern (see also ill. page 603) is only a few minutes’ walk from Harvard and MIT. Strict urban planning requirements led to a building of restrained form with a prefabricated curtain-wall facade – partly in a double-skin form of construction with accessible “loggias” that act as a climatic buffer zone and that also afford usable space. Other features include movable sunscreen elements, manually or electronically openable casements for night-time ventilation, and coloured curtains. Most workplaces enjoy natural lighting. Sunshading louvres incorporated in the windows deflect light via reflecting soffit mirrors into the depth of the offices.
