A River Runs Through

Education First’s new $125M, 300k SF HQ officially broke ground last week on a site in North Point, a neighborhood that straddles Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston. EF’s new HQ—designed by Swedish starchitect Gert Wingårdh—features a geometric glazed waterfall that slices through the façade, a reference to the nearby Charles River. With the Zakim Bridge as a backdrop, the new building also calls attention to the growth of the for-profit Swedish education, language, and travel firm that is expanding from its current 250k SF building nearby.

Swinging shovels at the EF site last week: Gert Wingårdh, State Rep. Sal DiDomenico, Skanska’s Paul Hewins, Gov. Deval Patrick, EF CEO Alex Hult, and EF Go Head Tours president Eddie Hult. Once complete in spring ’14, the complex will accommodate an extra 400 EF employees, bringing its workforce here to 1,200. The Cambridge project is a boost to the long-standing effort to develop an adjacent 45-acre swath of land (also called NorthPoint) by the development team of HYM Investment Group and Canyon Johnson Urban Funds. Early next year, HYM hopes to start construction of a 19-story residential tower, followed by office, retail, and restaurants.