Built over an active freight rail line, and featuring a 27 m high atrium, the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex was designed by Charles Correa in collaboration with Goody, Clancy and Associates to house the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. with an area of 3,809 sq. m., the space also incorporates classrooms, offices, conference rooms, wet and dry laboratories, imaging centers, libraries, and tearooms.

The building has LEED-Silver certification from the US Green Building Council. According to the MIT Department of Facilities, factors that earned it this distinction include:

• nearly 70 percent reduction in potable water use
• incorporation of gray-water recycling for toilets
• implementation of a stormwater management system to prevent harmful runoff into the Charles River 
• incorporation of heat recovery methods into heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems
• installation of variable air volume (VAV) system and right-sizing of HVAC equipment to reduce energy use 
• efficient lighting design, controls and daylight controls 
• light pollution reduction 
• low emitting materials including low volatile organic compounds (VOC) paints, adhesives and sealants 
• recycled content and regional materials
• high-performance exterior materials
• construction waste management plan for recycling and salvaging waste

Source:

MIT Facilities. n.d. “MIT Facilities - In Development & Construction: Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex.” Accessed May 10, 2022. https://web.mit.edu/facilities/construction/completed/bcs.html. Archived at https://perma.cc/8NY5-MGME.