Large red crates, stacked to form an archway, welcome visitors to 27 Drydock Avenue.
Located in Boston’s Seaport district, the building is home to Ginkgo Bioworks, a biological engineering startup that calls itself the “organism company.”
This is not a far-fetched claim: over the years since its founding in 2009, Ginkgo has brought its expertise of synthetic biology to a variety of different industries, including sustainable agriculture, cannabis, fragrance, and more. The company has been at its nearly 100,000 square foot office and lab space since April 2012, three years after its founding. At the heart of its operations are Ginkgo’s four labs, or “foundries”, as Gingko calls them.
The foundries are open, bright white spaces, stocked with all the equipment necessary for genetic modification. The first lab, Bioworks S1, designed by Olson Lewis, is focused around everything related to strain engineering. Bioworks S2 is an expansion of S1, while 3 and 4 are for DNA Synthesis and Mammalian cells specifically. Labs 2-4 were designed by Studio Troika.
All labs’ walls are bright white, a decision that was purposefully made to make the spaces look clean, and to inspire energy, rather than a darker color that could seem dreary in comparison. Large glass windows frame the labs, making them easy to see from the hallways and offices.
Ginkgo’s offices are similarly open. “I feel like our office space encourages different groups of people to come together,” said Grace Chuang, Ginkgo’s creative and marketing specialist. “Where people sit is grouped more randomly so they can learn from each other.”
The company’s offices are divided into three themes: plants, the ocean, and dinosaurs. Office and conference rooms are named after different species, and themed decor is sprinkled throughout the floor. Another main feature is that the entire space is configurable: even the lab equipment and benches are on wheels. This ever-changing space is made to reflect Ginkgo’s creativity in engineering, as well as their flexibility in innovation. “Ginkgo is very whimsical and on the move and we never wanna be like tied down or stick to the status quo,” said Chuang. “I feel like our office really reflects that vibe.”
In the vein of that whimsy, Ginkgo employees can choose whether they want to sit in a chair or on one of the company’s many exercise balls. One of the office rooms, equipped with dog beds and chew toys, is designated as a dog-friendly room, where employees can bring in pets from home. In kitchens, an array of snacks are readily available. “Biology is such a creative process,” said Chuang. “It’s really important to have a space that inspires people to think creatively with how they design with organisms.”
