Venture Development Center — Big Bend Studio

VENTURE DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Located inside Wheatley Hall at the University of Massachusetts - Boston and repurposed from a cafeteria space, the VDC is an incubator for life science and biotech start-ups. Conceived in part to elevate UMASS-Boston’s profile in the science, entrepreneurs rent lab and office space, sharing equipment and ideas in a space designed to encourage casual encounters and collaboration. Three lab typologies - damp, hybrid, and dry - accommodate a range of technical needs. Each lab is equipped with teleconferencing capability for distance collaboration. Offices are shared and relatively small to encourage users to spend time mixing with colleagues. Entrepreneurs are mentored and connected with potential investors.

Project credit: Sasaki (J. Moses, lab architect)

Image credits: Robert Benson, Bruce Martin