The recently completed 455 Grand Union Boulevard includes 237,600 SF of office space above 29,700 SF of retail and restaurant space. The 14-story Class-A office building is anchored by Puma North America’s new corporate headquarters which will allow it to tap into the large pool of talent in and around Boston.
The new building features a distinctive facade with Architectural Precast Concrete as well as metal panels and glazed curtain wall. The building is part of Assembly Row’s Block 5B, located next to condominium and retail development and close to the MBTA Orange Line.
Assembly Row is one of Greater Boston’s hottest new neighborhoods. Conveniently located along I-93 and with direct access to Downtown Boston via its dedicated MBTA station, it offers first-class working, living, shopping, entertainment, and dining. When fully built across 40 acres along the Mystic River, the Assembly Row neighborhood will feature a total of 635,000 SF of retail and restaurant space, 2 million SF of office space, and 1,800 residences.
PUMA HQ
PUMA is relocating 450 employees from offices in Boston and their current headquarters building in Westford, MA. Their decision to relocate to Assembly Row is indicative of the success of the vibrant, transit-connected neighborhood, as well as the amenity-rich location. The sneaker maker signed a lease to occupy the majority of the mixed use building, aiming to boost collaboration by putting all their people under one roof. Office space accommodates an open floor plan layout with abundant natural light and panoramic views. Communal roof terraces are located on the building's 6th and 12th floors.
Designed by Jacobs Architecture and built by Cranshaw Construction the project was originally scheduled to be completed in January 2021. With pandemic shutdowns the completion date was pushed back several months.
49 Architectural Precast spandrel panels were manufactured by Strescon Limited. Erection of the panels started in March 2020 and took just 5 days to install on the rear exterior face of the parking structure portion of the façade.
The spandrel panels feature a charcoal grey face mix combined with horizontal and vertical reveals. The color of the precast concrete contrasts with the glass and light skin paneling system for the overall building facade.
After the steel structure topped out, the tower crane erected the precast panels. The precast went up quickly and encloses the parking levels of the garage while also functions as a vehicle impact barrier.
Six levels of open air parking for 500 spaces, are supported within the building footprint. The architectural precast spandrels on the parking levels allow light and air to flow through.
Part of the critical path in meeting the schedule was the design of the connections between the precast and the steel structure. Strescon coordinated with the steel fabricator during the shop drawing phase. Given the construction phasing, the precast details needed to be finalized in advance to allow for the early construction of the steel frame system.
Strescon Limited provided all the necessary engineered connections and shop drawings quickly to meet the tight time frame. Panels were not produced until late December of 2019 into January of 2020. Working alongside our erectors Structures Derek International S.A. and our carrier Sunbury Transport Ltd. the delivery and erection process ran smoothly.
Custom Signage
Puma has a large sign that can be seen from Interstate 93. In addition to the sign, a six-story LED screen hangs on the façade. The digital art installation depicts three heads that represent the coming together of ideas, people and communities. The public art installation debuted in August, 2021 and will be an opportunity for local and national artists to showcase their work on an entirely new scale, on a one-of-a-kind digital LED canvas.
With retail and restaurant space on the ground level and office space above, the mixed use concept was integrated with more than 500 structured parking spaces within the buildings structural steel framed system. 455 Grand Union Boulevard at Assembly Row utilized the benefits of precast concrete in a seamless way to meet the aesthetic and sustainability goals set forth by the mixed use development.
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