Lexington Labs: Buildings 1 & 2 Achieve WELL Bronze and LEED Certifications
Lexington, MA — What was once a pair of aging buildings has been reimagined as a model for healthy, high-performing workplaces. The transformation of Lexington Lab Buildings 1 and 2, now proudly WELL Core and LEED Core and Shell Certified , is more than a milestone in building performance, it’s a testament to what’s possible when science, sustainability, and human health intersect.
Earning WELL certification required more than design ingenuity; it demanded a complete rethinking of what a laboratory campus could be. By meeting WELL’s rigorous on-site performance standards, the project demonstrated measurable benefits across air, water, light, sound, and materials, the very foundations of health and well-being in the built environment. From advanced filtration and low-emitting materials to daylight optimization and acoustic comfort, every element of the renovation was intentionally guided by evidence-based performance metrics.
Transforming existing spaces like Lexington Labs Buildings 1 and 2 is also a critical part of the broader path toward carbon emissions reduction. Adaptive reuse avoids the embodied carbon costs of new construction, while health-focused retrofits extend the useful life of existing assets and improve operational efficiency. The WELL framework complements this approach by ensuring that performance targets are not only about energy or emissions, but about the people inside.
As we look to the future, Lexington Labs stands as a reminder that sustainability and well-being are not separate goals; they are interdependent. By designing for health at the center, we can breathe new life into old structures, bridge the gap between environmental performance and human experience, and create workplaces that truly sustain both people and planet.
