DESIGNING HOPE: HOW INSULET CORPORATION'S FIRST US HEADQUARTERS BECAME A LIFELINE
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When Insulet selected Ci Design, Inc. to help bring its first US manufacturing headquarters to life in Acton, Massachusetts, the project represented an exciting opportunity to support a company advancing diabetes care through innovation. For Ci Principal Jonathan McKearin, however, the project would eventually take on a meaning far beyond architecture.
Several years after completing the headquarters, Jonathan’s daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. What had once been a professional connection to Insulet’s mission suddenly became deeply personal.
“I remember sitting in meetings with the Insulet team and hearing stories from people whose lives had changed because of the Omnipod system,” said Jonathan. “At the time, it was part of understanding the client and the technology. Years later, my own family would depend on that same innovation every day.”
Following his daughter’s diagnosis, Jonathan and his family quickly learned the realities of managing Type 1 diabetes — monitoring blood sugar, counting carbohydrates, administering insulin injections and navigating the emotional weight that comes with the condition. After months of manual care, his daughter transitioned to the Omnipod insulin management system, which was designed and manufactured within the very facility that Jonathan helped create.
Today, the technology has transformed their family’s day-to-day life. Real-time monitoring and automated insulin delivery have helped provide stability, independence and peace of mind for both Jonathan’s daughter and their family.
“There’s a sculpture wall in the Insulet lobby—an array of Omnipods, artfully displayed. It was an idea our team proposed during design, but I never imagined how symbolic it would become,” said Jonathan.
The experience also deepened Jonathan’s commitment to supporting the broader Type 1 diabetes community.
Jonathan’s family participates in the Maryland Breakthrough T1D Walk in support of diabetes research and advocacy. His daughter walks alongside classmates and other children living with Type 1 diabetes. Ci is an active supporter of this event, as well as Insulet and Omnipod.
“What’s remarkable is seeing how all of these pieces connect,” said Jonathan. “The work we do as architects can feel technical at times — manufacturing spaces, infrastructure, coordination. But this project reminds me that behind every facility are real people and families whose lives are impacted by what happens inside those walls.”
For Jonathan, the Insulet headquarters is no longer simply a milestone project. It represents a full-circle moment where design and his family’s livelihood intersected in a way he never could have anticipated.
About Ci Design, Inc.
Ci Design, Inc. is a nationally recognized architecture firm specializing in science and technology facilities, mixed-use and residential communities, and mission critical environments. With multidisciplinary services in architecture, planning, interiors, procurement, lab and manufacturing planning, experiential graphics and branding, and landscape design, Ci delivers innovative solutions that enhance the built environment and create lasting value for clients and communities.