Westbrook, ME The first Cross-Laminated-Timber (CLT) office building ever built in the state will be a crowning feature of the 100-acre, $600 million Rock Row, according to Waterstone, the owners and developers of Rock Row. The CLT office tower is the second major transaction of the year for the development; in February, Rock Row revealed that New England Cancer Specialists is anchoring a fully-integrated, 200,000 s/f destination medical & research campus that will serve the region.
Paying a tribute to Maine’s logging and timber heritage, the seven-story, 200,000 s/f CLT-designed office tower—named 100 Rock Row—marks the first of two office buildings planned for the site. When complete, Rock Row will offer more than 400,000 s/f total of class-A office space.
EYP is the design team on the project. A fully integrated architecture and engineering national design firm, EYP specializes in healthy workplaces, sustainable design, and the building systems and engineering that support health and wellness in the built environment. “Combining the sustainable design aspects of mass timber, the embodied carbon benefits and the quality of life improvements inherent in a building of this kind and bringing it to market in my home state is a project of a lifetime for us” said Maine native and project executive from EYP’s Boston office, Jacob Higginbottom.
The 100 Rock Row CLT office tower will feature retail space on the street level and distinctive loft and class-A offices on upper levels, including floors with balconies overlooking Rock Row’s 400’-wide natural quarry.
The open-floor CLT-design of 100 Rock Row also features 12’ floor-to-ceiling windows with abundant light and unobstructed site lines. More than 1,000 parking spaces will be available for tenants and guests. Construction of 100 Rock Row is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2022 with a planned occupancy date of the first quarter, 2024.
The Boulos Company is exclusive office leasing agent for 100 Rock Row.
In addition to its aesthetic appeal, 100 Rock Row’s CLT-design offers significant environmental and workplace health advantages compared to traditional concrete and steel construction, including:
• 66% less heating/cooling costs
• Superior air quality & moisture control
• Unmatched thermal comfort
• Greater sound absorption/noise cancellation
• Unobstructed site lines
• Continuous insulation/air-tight
• Greater fire protection & seismic performance
Studies have concluded that the air-quality benefits of CLT result in an increase of productivity that is valued at $6,500 per office worker per year. Research also shows that the wellness factors of wood buildings result in workers with 39% lower levels of stress, 44% higher satisfaction, 27% higher concentration and 38% more optimism.
“It’s not an overstatement to say that 100 Rock Row will be the most innovative, collaborative, and healthiest work environment in all of New England,” said Josh Levy, co-founding principal of Waterstone, the owners and developers of Rock Row. “More than an office address, 100 Rock Row is a business advantage that promotes business success. Bright places spark bright people. Fresh air promotes fresh thinking. Add the unobstructed quarry views and unmatched amenities and thought-sharing events at Rock Row and you get a place that people want to flourish in and be at, long after the workday is done.”