The Atrium at Draper

Vibrant blue swaths punctuate the new 25,000-sf atrium of Draper’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Contrasting the surrounding black ribbon windows, the sweeping glass guardrails of the atrium’s staircases, bridge, and mezzanine visually connect the atrium with the offices and labs above. Furthermore, they represent the physical manifestations of new interdisciplinary collaborations drawing engineers out of their research spaces and into the bright, bustling new common space. Designers at Elkus Manfredi Architects selected the rich blue accent to emphasize these connections—a bold architectural statement to symbolize the collaboration and pathways to new discoveries. The brilliant clarity of the Viracon glass with .006 PVB interlayer made up of .015 Vanceva TrueBlue and .045 Clear layers also reinforces Draper’s brand strategy of openness and transparency. Not only do they want to encourage their employees to connect across disciplines, they also invite the public to learn more about their work. Elkus Manfredi Architects reinvented Draper’s headquarters by transforming an exterior plaza into the active atrium enclosed in glass and steel. On one side, visitors can glimpse the Vanceva blue glass ribbons through a clear curtainwall divider while exploring rotating exhibits or convening in one of several small meeting areas. The employee space on the other side of the curtainwall buzzes with social interactions and interdisciplinary collaboration in the cafeteria, coffee bar, and informal seating areas. Throughout, the blue glass is a vibrant connective thread, unifying the atrium’s coworking and collaboration spaces through a bold architectural gesture.