Earning the right ot put "DNA" in your address

GenomeWeb had an item about real estate developers putting "DNA" in their property names; I had spotted the DNA Lofts in Dorchester but hadn't gotten around to blogging about them (annoying to be scooped, but that's procrastination for you).

However, as far as I can tell the DNA Lofts are just a catchy name, with no actual tie-in. It would be a convenient Red Line ride from the nearby Savin Hill station to the biotech areas of Cambridge. Which is tres disappointing. Surely they could do better by picking something off this list to truly earn a DNA tie-in:

1. Rehabbing space relevant to the history of biotech ("These walls are still contaminated with phage from seminal experiments...")


2. Subtle decorative motifs, such as floors tiled with the genetic code table


3. Major architectural elements. Double-helical staircases are an obvious one, but how about pyrimidine & purine-shaped windows?


4. Under-the counter thermocyclers in the kitchens (and -80 compartments in the freezers), washing machines built by Sorvall, etc.


5. Themed common areas: The Topoisomerase Lounge (where you can unwind). The Proteasome recycling center.

Of course, the best of all -- but quite ambitious -- would be to use a synthetic biology approach to construct the building!