Sarepta is at the forefront of precision genetic medicine, having built an impressive and competitive position in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and more recently in gene therapies for 5 Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy diseases and other CNS-related disorders, totaling over 20 therapies in various stages of development. The Company’s programs and research focus span several modalities, including RNA, gene therapy, and gene editing. Sarepta is fueled by an audacious but important mission: to improve and extend the lives of patients with rare genetic-based diseases.

Vivo has been retained by Sarepta as in-house architects, and has had a long and successful relationship with the company assisting with multiple projects both within the company’s east coast headquarters at 215 First Street, and their R&D facilities in Andover, MA. Vivo had previously expanded the company’s original 4th Floor executive suite from 12,000 to approximately 25,000 SF. For this project, the client secured 57, 600 SF on floors 3 and 4, and wished to connect these two spaces onto the existing suites to create one contiguous space. Among the challenges was the inclusion of a Conference Center with multiple meeting spaces, including a convertible room that could accommodate 300 seated occupants and be divisible into three separate rooms. Another challenge was the lack of natural light on the 4th floor suite, which is built on a former courtyard with only small windows at one end of the space. The Conference Center would be used both internally and for public functions and fund raisers, and it was important for this space to be a showcase of the company’s success.

Our first move was to increase the amount of natural daylight by planning two 20’ x 20’ skylights at third point of the elongated space. One of the skylights defines the Conference Center lounge that acts as a separator between the conferencing function and the general office areas. The other skylight sits above an equal sized floor opening with a monumental connecting stair to the third floor suite. An employee lounge area extends on both floors surrounding the connecting stair. Break areas were located at main circulation junctures to maximize staff interaction, while a large variety of meeting and private spaces provide choices for collaboration or quiet work as needed. An indoor waterfall and reflecting pond, along with preserved foliage panels were incorporated into the Conference Center lounge to emphasize a connection with nature and the outside world in an essentially windowless space. Being a global company, the client wanted a place to indicate company locations throughout the world. Vivo designed a backlit world map made of a single sheet of glass with custom graphics on printed film and color-changing LED light scenes. Audiovisual displays are also an important element to communicate the corporate message, and there are ample locations and varying display sizes located throughout the facility. Vivo has expanded on the original finishes palette to incorporate more natural yet sustainable materials that complement the historic character of the original building.