RP Masiello completes 145,000 s/f multi-use complex for David Clark

Worcester, MA Creating space for the David Clark company’s next century of innovation, RP Masiello has completed a 145,000 s/f multi-use complex for R&D, engineering, manufacturing and a new corporate headquarters for the legendary aerospace technology company.

The new David Clark complex is located at 125 Northeast Cutoff, a site first developed in 1966 as a semi-conductor fabrication facility that operated until 2018. David Clark purchased the site in 2024 and engaged RP Masiello as the construction manager for the project.

RP Masiello’s self-performing demolition team took the building back to its cast-in-place concrete structure to prepare the space for transformation. 

Construction then spanned the main two-story building with a penthouse and several smaller outbuildings configured for storage or specialized testing.

The project included new engineering labs, manufacturing, assembly, and testing suites served by sophisticated utilities, compressed air and environmental control systems that support 300 specialized machines the company uses in production and testing. One of those labs was an acoustic testing space, completely encapsulated in sound absorbing foam panels. The lab’s sound system can create the noise level of an F-16 taking off from the deck of an aircraft carrier for evaluating new headsets in development or testing production runs.

David Clark is world renowned for protective gear for aerospace crews. It has designed and produced space suits for every NASA program, including the 2026 Artemis II mission to the moon. The company is also the industry leader for high-performance communications headsets used in aerospace, marine, defense, and other demanding environments.

“This was a special project from the start,” said David Masiello, president of RP Masiello. “It had challenging structural and mechanical aspects which we worked through. Plus, knowing that it was all for the future of an historic company that’s literally been to the moon and back was pretty awesome.”

A new, heavy-duty HVAC system was installed to accommodate the air exchanges and particle filtration specifications important for the manufacturing processes. The advanced HVAC system has heat-recovery wheels to capture and re-use energy for heating and cooling before air is exhausted. Additional structural work on the roof was required to support the HVAC rooftop units.

“We had a good collaborative working relationship with the David Clark team, which was essential given the complexity of the project,” Masiello said.

The main entrance to the facility features a monumental staircase and elevator lobby with custom millwork and a display of David Clark aerospace pressure suits and headsets. The first floor has a warehouse and logistics area, a machine shop for the heavier equipment David Clark uses, and a cafeteria with full commercial kitchen that serves employees.

The second floor has a large open manufacturing space with multiple benches for various processes. There is a flexible training area for group events and an open-concept office area, with workstations in the middle ringed by glass-walled offices. The second floor also hosts the executive suite.

Once the physical structure of the facility was completed, members of the RP Masiello team helped with the delicate process of moving the company’s production and testing equipment from the old David Clark complex in Worcester to the new building.

Mark David, of M. David Co. LLC. was the owner’s project manager. The project architect was David Berryman of Newbury Design Associates.