Share this post

In the complex world of pharmaceuticals, companies need work environments with the right amount of space and resources to ensure that they are creating products that will positively impact patients’ health. And Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. has created such an environment with its new corporate headquarters. Based in Tarrytown, N.Y., the biopharmaceutical company develops medicines for many medical conditions, in­cluding products for the treatment of gout, eye diseases and cancer.

For the last 22 years, the company has operated its research and development headquarters from The Landmark at Eastview, the largest, privately owned multitenant technology park in the state.

In 2006, Regeneron, whose lease termination dates were on the horizon, had an opportunity to reconsider its facility requirements, Vice President of Fac­il­it­ies Joanne Deyo says. The company strong­ly considered a relocation, be­cause Re­generon’s various departments were located in multiple buildings throughout the Landmark. “We were split up like a patchwork quilt,” she recalls. 

Regeneron then conducted a search for a new location, but ultimately settled on staying at the Landmark, Deyo says. Additionally, the company decided to partner with BioMed Realty Trust, the owner of the Landmark, for construction and fit-out of two new structures that covered 230,000 square feet. “All the stars and moons were in alignment for this to happen,” she recalls. 

Cambridge, Mass.-based contractor William A. Barry & Son managed the construction of the first two structures, while Stamford, Conn.-based Pavarini Northeast oversaw the third. Through­out the construction, Regeneron continued to grow, which was challenging for the project team. “We grew beyond where we expected to be, even during the final design of the buildings,” she says. “We had to continually rethink what additional space we would need [and] make some changes midstream.”  

These included changes in research functions requiring fast redesign of some lab spaces mid-project. Addition­ally, just a couple of months after moving into its two new buildings, Re­generon amended its lease to include a third new building to create a new total of 360,000 square feet of state-of the-art research and development space. 

Regeneron also retained some of its older space and has continued to lease additional premises on the campus and currently leases approximately 600,000 square feet at the Landmark. 

Efficient and Sustainable

Regeneron has enjoyed a more efficient work environment since it moved into the buildings earlier this year. With more departments adjacent to one another, “It has helped us increase our internal collaborations,” Deyo states. “We’re closer together in many respects, [but in other ways], we’re further apart because of significant growth.”  Also, the project team has included design elements to increase employee interaction and stimulate collaboration, so physical distan­ces feel minimal.

The new buildings also are more sustainable than the company’s previous facilities. For instance, the structures have white rooftops to reflect sunlight, high-efficiency HVAC systems and heat-recovery systems.

Although laboratories tend to require large amounts of energy, “We are saving a significant amount,” Deyo says, noting that the buildings also incorporate the extensive use of natural light. “It truly is a ‘best-of-both-worlds’ scenario.” The firm anticipates it will be saving close to 20 percent on energy costs in the new spaces due to what was designed and engineered into the buildings.

When Regeneron was a tenant in its previous spaces, it was difficult to implement such sustainable features, Deyo admits. “We were also within spaces that were shared by other tenants,” she ex­plains. “Just from a logistical standpoint, it would have been extremely difficult.”

The Right Spirit

Deyo says she is pleased with the final product. “I think the buildings speak for themselves,” she says. “If you have a bad contractor, the buildings are not going to work right.”

Instead, “Our employees love them,” she says. “The contractors had to make it come to life and they did a good job.”

Pavarini Northeast Project Manager Rob Nelson adds that he is proud of the entire project team. “In the almost 20 years I’ve been doing this, this is probably the [best] team I’ve worked together with,” he declares. 

“We all came in [with] the spirit of getting the job done,” he says, noting that this attitude was shared by the project team. These firms included Solar El­ec­tric, BAM Studio, MovePlan, WSP Flack + Kurtz, CBRE, Frank & Lindy, The At­lantic Group, and Gardiner & Theo­bold. 

Deyo sees more construction work in Regeneron’s future. “We leased some additional space on the same campus,” she says, explaining that the company plans to renovate 40,000 square feet of property. “That’s coming up shortly.”

Additionally, “We have a number of other projects where we’re going to take laboratory spaces in some of the other buildings and give them the feel of Re­generon’s branding,” she says. “We will indeed be adding a lot of energy conservation efforts into those spaces.” 

Giving Its Best

Science magazine this year ranked Re­gen­eron as the No. 2 employer in the global biopharmaceuticals industry. Presi­dent and CEO Leonard S. Schleifer said in a statement that the award was a great honor. “It is a priority at Regeneron to create an environment where talented individuals can create groundbreaking science and where creativity and innovation are encouraged and recognized,” he said. “We are grateful to Science for acknowledging our science-based culture and to our fantastic employees, who give their best every day to the pursuit of important new medicines through scientific discoveries.”

Schleifer also won an honor this year when Ernst & Young gave him the Ent­repreneur of the Year 2011 New York Award in the healthcare services category. Schleifer shared the honor with members of Regeneron’s staff. “This honor is a tribute to the dedicated men and women at Regeneron who have worked with great commitment and creativity to build our company into one of the leading firms in the biotechnology industry,” he said. “From the day we opened our labs in Westchester County, more than two decades ago, and under the scientific leadership of our chief science officer, Dr. George Yancopoulos, our mission has been to apply rigorous science to discover and develop new drugs for patients suffering from serious diseases.”

One of the company’s products, ARCALYST, is approved, while VEGF Trap-Eye is under review by the FDA. The latter is for macular degeneration, “and many other drug candidates are being tested in a variety of serious medical conditions,” he said.