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Kaplan Construction Completes Third and Begins Fourth Child Care Center for Bright Horizons

Bright Horizons Photo credit: Shelly Harrison

BOSTON – August 29, 2016 – Kaplan Construction a WBE general contractor and construction management firm providing comprehensive building programs across Greater Boston, announced today that it has completed its third child care center in Cambridge, Mass. and started the construction on the expansion of a center in Natick, Mass. for Bright Horizons Family Solutions®, a leading provider of early education and preschools, employer-sponsored child care, back-up care, educational advisory services and other work/life solutions.

“The completion of the new Bright Horizons at Kendall Square is important to our community, as the revitalized learning environment provides a bright and friendly space to support the early education and child development for our families. Bright Horizons puts a lot of thought into creating centers that can foster individual learning and child development at every age, and Kaplan has always done a great job of keeping our projects on track.  We look forward to continuing our work together on the upcoming expansion and renovation of our Natick center.”

Tony Gentile, Senior VP of Real Estate Development
Bright Horizons Family Solutions

Bright Horizons – Cambridge, Mass.
Celebrating a July 18 opening, the new center at 286 Cardinal Medeiros Avenue in Kendall Square is the third successful collaboration for Kaplan and Bright Horizons. Following a complete demolition of the building interior, Kaplan renovated the existing office building into a new 8,000 SF early education and preschool that can accommodate up to 97 children ranging from infants to pre-kindergarten. In addition to the classrooms organized by age group, Kaplan created an enrichment center for ballet and the arts and a playground for infants and toddlers. The interior fit-out included removal and replacement of the structural slab, new finishes, upgraded MEP systems, and the installation of new windows and skylights.

Built in 1935 as a furniture factory and warehouse and formerly used as a laboratory, the original one-story building required extensive renovation to make it suitable as educational space. Kaplan removed the loading dock and steel mezzanine of the old building and backfilled the area to level the slab with the rest of the structure. Landscaping and new entrances were installed to brighten the approach, and a pathway was created behind the building to link the center’s new location with a neighboring pre-school playground. The drop-off/pick-up zone in the parking garage at Kendall Square was re-utilized for the center’s new location.

Kaplan worked with Davis Square Architects of Somerville, Mass. and StudioMLA of Brookline, Mass. to complete this project for Bright Horizons. The project team also included structural engineer Summit Engineering of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and MEP engineer WB Engineers of Boston. DivcoWest is the landlord of the building.

Bright Horizons – Natick, Mass.
Located at 313 Speen Street in the heart of Natick, Bright Horizons currently occupies 8,000 SF and features three toddler rooms, three infant rooms and two pre-school rooms. Bright Horizons has acquired an additional 4,500 SF adjacent to its current space to build additional toddler, infant, and pre-school rooms to accommodate an additional 45 children.

Kaplan began construction in early July in the newly acquired space and will fully renovate the new area, creating one 12,500 SF early education and pre-school center. The project includes life safety upgrades, featuring all new fire alarms and a voice evacuation system. Softscape areas and the outdoor playground will also be upgraded. Construction is anticipated to be completed in the fall.

In addition to providing preconstruction services, Kaplan is the construction manager for the project. Kaplan worked with owner’s project manager (OPM) Jonathan Lavash of Jonathan Lavash Project Management; architecture firms Davis Square Architects of Somerville, Mass. and StudioMLA of Brookline, Mass.; and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineer WB Engineers of Boston.  Ingenuity is the landlord of the building.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Susan Shelby, FSMPS, CPSM
Rhino Public Relations
978.985.4541
kaplan@rhinopr.com

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