Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Gund Hall Under Construction to Update Building Envelope

Construction on Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Gund Hall began in October with the goal of improving its sustainability by updating the building envelope.

Bruner/Cott Architects, the firm that designed the Smith Campus Center, is leading the project to renovate the building.

Gund Hall — designed by GSD alumnus John H. Andrews — opened in 1972, and houses the GSD. The building, which includes large studio spaces for students, features large windows that make up a large portion of the building envelope.

The windows were previously constructed with aluminum shapes and one layer of glass, according to Kevin Cahill, the assistant dean for facilities at the Graduate School of Design.

Cahill, who is helping to coordinate the renovations, is set to retire at the end of academic year after more than 40 years at the GSD.

“Aluminum is really good at conducting temperature,” he said. “So when it’s cold out, that aluminum brings the cold right inside the building; when it’s hot out, the aluminum brings the heat right inside the building.”

The current renovations aim to replace the windows on the north and south facades of Gund Hall with hybrid vacuum insulated glazing. These windows include both a vacuum between two panes of glass to provide insulation and a third pane of glass with argon gas between the other panes that will also provide insulation.

“We expect these will be the highest performing windows in greater Boston,” Cahill said.

Construction began with a mock-up of the hybrid VIG windows on the southeast corner of the building and extensive tests were conducted before renovating the building’s more than 100 windows.

“When you do a facade of a building up, you really can’t make a mistake where you’re doing it again,” Cahill said. “I’m a big advocate for an in situ mock up in these applications.”

Cahill said that it was important to weigh cost, comfort, and carbon footprint when approaching the construction project.

“We’re trying to look at all three of those C’s: how do we be cost effective? How do we reduce the carbon? How do we keep people comfortable?” Cahill said.

The renovations not only target the sustainability impact of the windows themselves, but also include considerations on the materials used during construction.

“In general, we’re trying to reduce the carbon footprint of the renovation,” Cahill said.

In addition to managing heat efficiency and increasing sustainability, the renovations also aim to reduce glare and improve lighting in the space. These include automated window shades and increased lighting in the studio space. There are also some accessibility updates to the studio tray doorways.

The renovations also serve as a chance for the school’s students to get exposure to a more unique project.

“This is an opportunity for students to learn about this process, to learn how it happens in the field, how do you choose your consultants, how do you test these systems,” Cahill said.

The project also focused on the historical preservation of Gund Hall, which has been a “much-loved” feature of the GSD for many years.

Cahill said the Graduate School of Design School has been in communication with the Cambridge Historical Society.

“There’s a lot of complexity in this job,” Cahill said.

“It's incumbent on the Design School that if we have a significant building — an architecturally significant building — that we maintain the intent of the design,” he added.

The current renovations, which are phase one of the larger project, are expected to largely conclude before the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year, with phases two and three potentially — depending on funding — following with more extensive renovations.

“We're improving the space where students spend most of their time — such a worthy investment,” Cahill said. “Everybody believes that investments in student spaces are critical.”

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