One Milestone Completes a Nature-Integrated Life Science Campus in Boston

Isha ChaudharyJune 30, 20264 Mins read84

The first phase of Boston’s Enterprise Research Campus (ERC) has reached a significant milestone with the completion of One Milestone, a two-building life science complex designed by the collaborative efforts of Henning Larsen and Studio Gang. Located in Allston, adjacent to Harvard’s expanding innovation district, the project represents more than a conventional laboratory development. It introduces a new model where research, public life, landscape, and urban connectivity are deliberately woven together.

Spanning approximately 47,380 square meters (about 510,000 square feet), One Milestone forms the centerpiece of Phase A of the 14-acre Enterprise Research Campus master plan, which has been jointly shaped by Henning Larsen and Studio Gang since 2019. Developed by Breakthrough Properties, the project is envisioned as a destination where scientific discovery, entrepreneurship, and community interaction coexist within an active urban setting.

Designing Connections Across the Campus

One Milestone positions scientific work within a broader civic framework. The two structures—One Milestone East by Henning Larsen and One Milestone West by Studio Gang are linked through a transparent three-story atrium that acts as both circulation space and social connector.

The glazed atrium creates visual and physical relationships between researchers, visitors, and tenants across multiple levels. Instead of functioning merely as a passageway, it becomes a shared public room that encourages chance encounters, collaboration, and interdisciplinary exchange. This connective approach reflects the wider initiatives of the Enterprise Research Campus, where buildings are organized around public streets, green spaces, and community-oriented amenities.

One Milestone East: Cascading Terraces for Scientific Discovery

Henning Larsen’s One Milestone East serves as the architectural anchor of the development. Rising nine storeys and encompassing approximately 265,000 square feet, the building departs from the traditional image of sealed laboratory towers through a massing strategy defined by cascading terraces.

Positioned at the southeastern edge of Allstonway, the structure gradually steps outward as it rises, creating a series of landscaped outdoor platforms that extend the surrounding public realm vertically through the building. These terraces provide researchers with direct access to fresh air, daylight, and outdoor collaboration spaces—an uncommon feature in highly controlled laboratory environments.

The stepped form also responds to the broader urban context. Its profile references the historic architectural character of nearby Harvard Business School while simultaneously creating sheltered pedestrian spaces at ground level. The result is a building that participates in city life rather than separating itself from it.

Inside, the building adopts an efficient L-shaped floor plan that separates laboratory functions from office environments. Flexible floor plates ranging between 34,000 and 36,000 square feet allow future adaptation for evolving research needs. The project also incorporates StudioLabs by Breakthrough Properties—fully equipped turnkey laboratory suites designed for emerging life science companies that require ready-to-use research environments.

Architecture Shaped by Light and Landscape

One Milestone East’s façade contributes significantly to its identity. Scalloped cladding creates changing patterns of light and shadow throughout the day, introducing visual depth while breaking down the scale of the laboratory building.

Large floor-to-ceiling glazed areas maximize natural daylight penetration, reducing dependence on artificial lighting while maintaining strong visual connections to the surrounding landscape. High-performance glazing minimizes heat transfer and contributes to the project’s energy-efficiency goals. According to project information released by the architects, the building is designed to reduce energy consumption by approximately 40 percent compared to baseline standards.

Planted terraces, green edges, and outdoor gathering areas blur the boundary between laboratory workspaces and the campus environment, encouraging informal meetings and moments of respite within a demanding research setting.

One Milestone West Complements the Vision

While Henning Larsen’s building emphasizes cascading outdoor spaces, Studio Gang’s One Milestone West introduces a complementary architectural language. The seven-story laboratory and office building uses a calibrated façade system combining glazing and solid panels to balance daylight access, thermal performance, and bird-friendly design.

The building’s carved massing generates outdoor terraces overlooking the neighborhood while maintaining efficient laboratory depths. Ground-floor setbacks create sheltered spaces for social activities, retail functions, and public interaction. Together, the two buildings establish a dialogue between distinct architectural identities united by shared urban principles.

Sustainability Embedded in the Campus Framework

The surrounding landscape incorporates bioswales, retention systems, and extensive planting to improve stormwater management and biodiversity. Low-carbon construction materials, including reduced-carbon concrete and steel, contribute to lower embodied carbon impacts. Nearly half of the materials used reportedly comply with Red List Free requirements, supporting healthier interior environments.

One Milestone recently received the 2026 Fitwel Best in Building Health Award following Fitwel 2-Star certification and is pursuing LEED Gold certification, reflecting the project’s emphasis on occupant well-being alongside environmental responsibility.

Anchoring Boston’s Next Innovation District

Even before completion, the campus attracted major tenants. Roche’s Genentech Innovation Center has committed approximately 100,000 square feet within One Milestone, significantly expanding its original footprint. The facility will bring together specialists in cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic research alongside AI and data science teams focused on accelerating drug discovery.

Its arrival reinforces the broader purpose of the Enterprise Research Campus, creating a place where academic research, industry expertise, and entrepreneurial activity intersect. Situated near Harvard’s Science and Engineering Complex, innovation labs, and business school, One Milestone becomes part of a larger ecosystem designed to foster collaboration across disciplines.

One Milestone demonstrates how contemporary laboratory buildings can evolve beyond technical performance alone. Through stepped terraces, transparent communal spaces, public-facing ground floors, and landscape integration, the project challenges the notion of research facilities as closed environments.

One Milestone Project Details

Project: One Milestone
Location: Allston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Architects: Henning Larsen (One Milestone East) and Studio Gang (One Milestone West)
Developer: Breakthrough Properties
Campus: Enterprise Research Campus
Completion: 2026
Program: Life science laboratories, offices, retail, collaboration spaces, and outdoor terraces
Anchor Tenant: Genentech Innovation Center
Certification: Fitwel 2-Star Certified; pursuing LEED Gold