Harvard Gets Its First Mass Timber Building

Add one of the nation’s most prestigious universities to the list of mass timber proponents with the completion of the David Rubenstein Treehouse.

The 55,000-square-foot facility, part of Harvard’s new Enterprise Research Center in Allston, MA, was designed by Studio Gang. The firm said it looked to the “architecture of trees” for the new structure, which is said to feature external timber bracing whose massing widens as it rises. Inside, wood columns have an arboreal stance, which is why its Treehouse name seems so appropriate.

Studio Gang says the new building, which includes classrooms as well as living spaces, uses “responsibly sourced wood” and cement made from recycled glass, resulting in an embodied carbon rating that is 55 percent less than a similar building made of conventional materials.

Inside, finishes and furniture are said to be made without polyfluoroalkyl substances. The building achieved Harvard’s Healthier Building Academy goals, and is targeting Living Building Challenge (LBC) Core Certification and LBC Petal Certification too, it was reported.

“As a Harvard alumna and faculty member, it’s so rewarding to have the opportunity to help define a new chapter for Harvard’s campus,” said Jeanne Gang, founder of Studio Gang, and a Harvard Graduate School of Design professor. “The Rubenstein Treehouse is a building that opens itself up, welcomes all people and serves as a visual and programmatic anchor to the ERC.”

Image: Studio Gang

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