A transformative, carbon-conscious conservation of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design (GSD) is underway at Gund Hall in Massachusetts. The project focuses on energy efficiency and occupant well-being.
Originally designed by Australian architect and GSD alumnus John Andrews, the current transformation is led by Bruner/Cott Architects. The 3,530-m2 (38,000-sf) building is an architectural marvel of mid-20th-century concrete modernism.
The building features a glass-enclosed five-story studio block, known as the trays, and has served as the GSD’s physical and metaphorical center—where students engage with one another.
BIM-based models for carbon emissions, energy consumption, and lighting guide the design for heightened storm resistance.
Gund Hall will introduce new glazing technology with dimensions that suit historic windows.
It will replace the complex curtain wall and special window assemblies to meet advanced energy codes and conserve original design elements. The east curtain wall and clerestory windows use triple-pane glass, while a custom hybrid vacuum-insulated glass (VIG) composite adds an additional layer of insulation to the north and south curtain walls. The Gund Hall renovation is among the first projects in the U.S. to employ hybrid VIG on a grand scale.
Calculations project the renovated building will save approximately 18,000 kg (39,683.2 lb) of CO2 emissions per year, which will result in a 22.2 percent reduction in energy use.
Phase one was recently completed at the beginning of the fall 2024 semester.
