A Conscious Insertion

In 1898 the Proctor family built a grand estate complete with a gate house, carriage house and a mansion. Over the years it has been used as a private residence, a retirement home for Catholic priests and currently is home to New England Biolabs. New England Biolabs is a leader in enzyme research and production, sending products all around the world. Their new headquarters were completed two years ago on the sprawling 240 acre site. Each of the existing buildings were reused creating space for administration, apartments for visiting scientists and an exercise and recreation facility. The challenge came in how and where to add the new research and education facility. The only requirement asked of the architect as that it preserved the mansion and the old beech trees. The design did that and more.

Site Plan

Geometry

When Mrs. Proctor first entered her new home, she said it was mostly hall. That comment stuck. The mansion has been called “Mostly Hall” ever since. With this in mind, the design team at Weston Williamson came up with a scheme that worked with the conditions and used this concept as their design.

Material

Copper panels and green-tinted glass make up the envelope of the new building helping it to blend in with the rolling landscape while the mansion still stands proud in its brick and copper trim.

Scale

The new building is much larger (180,000 S.F.) but with a hidden parking structure and the rolling hill, the mansion looks just at large when standing between the two.

Views

The views out of each of the building offer a peaceful setting overlooking the fields, gardens or ponds. One bench is located on the site providing a view of the mansion.

Entrance

The old stone entry provides a stately entrance while the new entry offers a collection of modern art while mimicking the old stone.

Entry

Both buildings offer a grand entrance filled with light and upon entering, a long hall.

Overall, I feel this is a successful integration into the site and the context. This building is proud to be shown in its context. The play between the two buildings works well for both the site and the type of buildings on the site. It is not the type of building that you would usually find on a great estate. The materials chosen help the large building to feel even lighter than it really is while allowing the old mansion to remain heavy and solid. The mansion has remained the centerpiece of this grand estate, proudly surrounded by the old beech trees.



I tried to keep this brief. I could go on about this project and maybe will have a chance in Boston. If anyone wants for information, you can go to www.neb.com or www.westonwilliamson.com. I tried to obtain plans or sections of the building but my only contact is on vacation until the 20th.