The site of Cambridge Discovery Park was used for farming until 1950 when Arthur D. Little, Inc., the world's first management consultancy firm, which pioneered the concept of contracted professional services, bought seven acres of farmland, and began construction of one of the first post-war suburban office parks. In 1953, the Park opened and was named Acorn Park, based on the company's motto: Glandes Sparge Ut Quercus Crescent 'Scatter Acorns That Oaks May Grow', and it grew to approximately 40 acres as new buildings were added. With simple exteriors and austere interiors, the Park projected a utilitarian image for a major industrial research centers. In total, Acorn Park consisted of 14 buildings and over 400,000sf with multiple surface parking lots. Arthur D. Little owned the site until 1999 and continued to occupy the site as a tenant until 2002. The original buildings at Acorn Park were demolished by Bulfinch over several years beginning in 2003, partly to restore and preserve the neighboring wetlands. A memorial stands on the site to commemorate Arthur D. Little and includes the 1953 cornerstone of the first Arthur D. Little building. In 2011, Bulfinch received a preservation award from the Cambridge Historical Commission for this memorial.
Development
Cambridge Discovery Park is master-planned and permitted for 820,000 sf and is being developed in phases. Building 100 was first developed and leased by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory; Building 200-300 followed and is currently leased by Forrester Research, and a 650 space +/-parking garage also has been developed. Approximately 450,000 sf +/- of office and/or laboratory space and an additional parking garage remain to be developed. Bulfinch manages the property.
Sustainability
When Bulfinch purchased the Arthur D. Little site in 2000, it returned nearly 10 acres back to open space and natural vegetation, restoring areas of the 1950s post-war office park into green space. Bulfinch also converted former parking lots and impervious areas into a natural buffer between the Little River and portion of the property to be developed, including adding ponds and other natural features to treat storm water, which earned Bulfinch the "Go Green" Award from the City of Cambridge for Stormwater Management Design. Future buildings are intended to be LEED certified "silver" or higher
Location
Cambridge Discovery Park is located adjacent to Route 2, a major artery to and from Boston and Cambridge, in close proximity to Harvard and MIT, not far from Logan International Airport and downtown Boston, and adjacent to the Alewife Reservation and Little River. The Park is situated just a few miles to Interstate 95/Route 128 and the western Boston suburbs. Public transportation can be accessed via a 300 yard+/- pedestrian footpath or a shuttle bus to the MBTA Alewife Red Line station. The Park also is easily accessible by bicycle via the Minuteman Bike Path. The Park is situated in an expanding neighborhood with numerous residential projects underway including the adjacent Vox on Two plus over 1,000 multi-family units within approximately ½ mile of the campus.
In 2011, the City of Cambridge awarded Cambridge Discovery Park the GoGreen Award for outstanding storm water design and efficiency.
In 2011, City of Cambridge Historic Commission. awarded a Certification of Preservation Merit for the interpretative signage that chronicles the history of Acorn Park and features the original 1953 cornerstone of the initial Arthur D. Little building.
