Education First

Seaport Project
October 11, 2018
Seaport Project
October 11, 2018

About the Project

Education First

Location: Cambridge, MA

Contractor: Skanska Building USA

Architect: Wilson Architects

Engineer: Simon Design Engineering

Weight: 3900 Tons

EF Education First is a 300,000 sf, 12-story, $125 million Boston-area design-build school project that broke ground in December 2012. We delivered almost 4,000 tons of steel – including 100 tons for the ‘waterfall’ that runs down the entire façade of the building – in May of 2013 following 14,000 hours of fabrication.

The structure is a centerpiece in the redevelopment of an area between Charlestown and Cambridge MA, now called NorthPoint, that was once dominated by warehouses and rail yards. The stretch of land now houses a hair and nail salon, a gym, a Hubway station, and a 250-seat bar and restaurant with an outdoor patio overlooking the Charles River: all inside the international education company’s massive campus.

EF’s unconventional complex emphasizes open work spaces and doesn’t have any individual offices. It features a glass waterfall that juts down the middle of the building, streaming natural light inside. The 10-story building is also a symbol of business growth at EF, despite a lack of general recognition among many US travelers. The company offers a wide range of educational travel experiences, including domestic and international group tours for students and adults and study-abroad programs. It also operates an extensive roster of English-language schools.

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