Microsoft Research Lab
Location
Cambridge, MA
Completed
2019
Size
76,000 SF
Owners
Microsoft
Architect
Sasaki Associates
Photographer
© John Horner
Award
2019 IES Awards Boston Section – Honorable Mention
Design Team
Innovation is the lifeblood of the technology industry. It’s fueled by strong collaborations and serendipitous collisions between dissimilar ideas. The lighting story for this multinational technology company begins with a concept sketch, illustrating three basic zones in the heart of the work area. Solitary activities, such as walking, are rendered only with pools of light. Focus areas highlight tasks, but also introduce synapses of sparkle in a porous lid. Collaboration spaces are bathed with illumination, folding in daylight. One- and two-story sanctuaries filled with daylight and luminous decorative elements are used to relax the eye, by focusing on distant views.