IBM Watson Health

Cambridge, Massachusetts

160,000 SF

New York Design 100, Gold 2016

IDA Design Award, Bronze, 2016

Transforming a traditionally hierarchical and siloed work culture into a collaborative, adaptable and agile environment driven by requirement rather than expectations.
IBM Watson Health is an arm of IBM focused on industrial research, having made some of the most notable technological and scientific business breakthroughs of the 20th and 21st centuries. Its main function is data collection and synthesis. IBM Watson Health, working closely with startups and key partners, systematically gathers large amounts of health data, which can provide tailored insights to hospitals, physicians, insurers, researchers and even patients.

This mandate lends itself to a younger and more technology and communications oriented audience, warranting a major shift in the way IBM envisioned the space feeling and functioning. Ease and accessibility were prioritized, along with the client experience. Centralized active educational environments were embedded in the office space, which is both fixed and flexible, along with unique technological research areas. A Client Welcome Center was created to house a 30 foot tall interactive video wall displaying IBM produced content in addition to a 360° immersion room with 3D hologram which showcases Watson’s abilities. These areas compose a curated client experience, which is multi-generational and consistent with the IBM brand.

The stand-alone building also includes a large auditorium hall that can be used for conferences and major public events in addition to a Security Operating Center that tests security protocols and has access to the dark web.

"The Switzer Group learned our unique space and operational needs and were energetic and engaged throughout the construction. They worked closely with the project construction manager and helped ensure our vision for the building attained."

Joseph A. Lenuso, Executive Vice President, Columbia University Facilities