Harvard Chemistry Lab Complex Undergoing Electrical, Drainage Renovations

Harvard is currently renovating its nearly 100-year-old Chemistry laboratory complex to address the facilities’ “aging electrical infrastructure and deficient stormwater system,” according to College spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo.

The projects, which broke ground in May, involve constructing a new main electrical room and improving drainage systems. They are expected to be completed in December 2025.

The complex, located across several buildings on Oxford Street, houses the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department and includes Mallinckrodt, Converse, Conant, and Naito laboratories.

Palumbo said that the CCB courtyards have experienced “recurring flooding” and “sewage back-surges into research labs after major rain events,” which he attributed to the impacts of climate change.

The improvements to the complex’s drainage system consist of “the addition of an 8,000 gallon concrete holding tank, pumps and piping within the CCB courtyards which will be connected into drain and sewer mains at Oxford Street” Palumbo wrote.

The upgrades to the buildings’ electrical infrastructure were motivated by a number of regulatory code issues, limited standby power, and little scope for accommodating additional power load on the system.

The new electrical hub, complete with a new transformer, will address the need for standby power and fluctuating electrical demands across the various laboratories.

Palumbo wrote that both projects will work in tandem by “capitalizing on shared excavation, minimizing disruption, and maximizing resilience as 100-year storms become more common due to climate change.”

The construction temporarily shut down a sidewalk and one lane of Oxford Street as the University installed new manholes. Though the street has since fully reopened, Palumbo wrote that it “will be shut down again in November for a weekend crane pick and in the spring for repaving activities.”

The Converse laboratory, which is part of the complex, is also undergoing construction in phases to meet accessibility requirements, though the building will remain open. Additional projects will begin planning based on program needs and to support CCB faculty research, Palumbo wrote.

—Staff Writer Michael R. Carney can be reached at michael.carney@thecrimson.com.

—Staff Writer Danielle J. Im can be reached at danielle.im@thecrimson.com.