Case Study: CamLIFE expands Cambridge life sciences capacity with Gensler

CamLIFE repositions 3 buildings with Gensler to create 170,000 square feet of lab space

CamLIFE, a project by real estate developer Longfellow, faced the challenge of Cambridge's constrained supply of high-quality, flexible lab space. The high demand from the region's expanding life sciences ecosystem, particularly from emerging companies, was limiting innovation and growth. To address this, Longfellow partnered with the architecture and design firm Gensler for a solution.

Gensler repositioned three adjacent office buildings into 170,000 square feet of flexible, multi-tenant lab and workspace. This adaptive reuse solution featured an 80% speculative fit-out, enabling tenant occupancy within 12 weeks. The project resulted in a 40% reduction in embodied carbon and is projected to achieve net-carbon savings from 2029 onward. By unlocking critical lab capacity with a fast, flexible, and sustainable model, Gensler helped strengthen Cambridge's standing as a global life sciences destination.

CamLIFE