Image courtesy of NBBJ

As the life science sector continues to remain one of the few bright spots in Greater Boston’s commercial real estate market during this recession, Alexandria Real Estate Equities filed plans to add a 370,000-square-foot infill office/lab building in Kendall Square.

The 6-story building at 375 Binney St., designed by NBBJ, will be built with maximum energy-efficiency in mind, using a combination of a well-insulated façade with fewer windows than many all-glass buildings and a field of geothermal wells to reduce the demands on its HVAC system.

Geothermal well fields, notably used in Boston University’s under-construction Center for Computing and Data Sciences work as a heat pump, circulating water heated by the building’s air through the much cooler soil and rock deep below ground.

In the case of the 375 Binney project, Alexandria’s application says the 1.3-acre well field will be placed along the Grand Junction railroad tracks north of the proposed building. The area will be landscaped like a park, designed by Halvorson Design, and maintained as public open space.

A 2-story below-grade parking garage will also be built to hold 286 cars. An 88-bicycle indoor storage facility will be included on the first floor.

The California-based life science REIT will need special permits from the Cambridge Planning Board.