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New Mixed-Use Building in Boston Will Provide Modern Housing for Harvard Students

Shawmut Design and Construction in Boston has topped off a sustainable mixed-use building in Allston, providing 276 modern student housing units for Harvard University with a focus on sustainability. The project also includes public spaces and amenities, with plans for Living Building Challenge Certification. Additionally, Shawmut is building a new American Repertory Theater in Allston, set to open in 2026, with sustainable design features and community-integrated spaces. Later, they will renovate the existing theater space for program students.

Wed January 15, 2025 - Northeast Edition #3
School Construction News


Boston-based Shawmut Design and Construction has reached the topping-off milestone for a new sustainable mixed-use facility in the city's Allston neighborhood that will serve the Harvard University community by providing student housing and inviting public spaces.

Located at 100 South Campus Dr., the ground level of the new facility will include 75 car parking spaces and 250 sheltered bicycle parking spaces. Additionally, plans call for tree-lined areas and numerous green spaces, fostering a biophilic environment for urban connectivity, as well as an integrated stormwater-management system.

The project is bringing 276 student residential units to the area alongside public-facing amenities — all with a focus on sustainability.

When complete, the low-rise building also will feature a plethora of natural daylight. The facade will showcase multiple windows using triple-glazed technology as well as an optimized window-to-wall ratio and double-height glass enclosures to help maintain energy efficiency while also bridging the gap between indoor and outdoor spaces.

It is also set to achieve Living Building Challenge Certification from the International Living Future Institute, a certification program that recognizes projects that perform exceptionally in the areas of water, energy and materials use, as well as measures metrics such as equity, beauty, place, health and happiness.

The project is part of a larger transformation of 175 North Harvard Street, which includes the new home for the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), now under construction.

School Construction News noted on Jan. 13 that the project team also includes New York-based Marvel Architects, with Cambridge-based NorthStar Project & Real Estate Services serving as project manager.

In a news release, Kevin Sullivan, executive vice president of Shawmut's New England Region, said, "We're proud to partner with Harvard on this transformative project, delivering critical sustainable housing and public spaces. Together with the new home of the American Repertory Theater, the reimagining of 175 North Harvard Street will establish a dynamic, sustainable live-play hub for the community."

Shawmut Also Behind New A.R.T. Construction

The new Harvard University American Repertory Theater in Allston, also built by Shawmut, began construction in March 2024 and is slated to open its doors in 2026.

The theater's predecessor, the Loeb Drama Center, was undersized for current needs and faced age-related maintenance challenges, in contrast to the new community-integrated, highly sustainable theater complex, built to provide both entertainment and collaborative public spaces.

The David E. and Stacy L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance within the A.R.T. is the first project in the U.S. designed by Haworth Tompkins, a renowned London-based architecture firm. It was selected for its experience with theater, sustainable design and urban development.

The U.K. studio also designed the Goel Center to achieve Living Building Challenge core accreditation from Living Future through its sustainable and regenerative design.

The A.R.T. structure itself will minimize carbon use through the integration of laminate mass timber, recycled brick and cedar cladding. Rooftop solar panels will capture clean energy, while a green roof featuring a variety of plants will help manage stormwater and promote biodiversity.

In addition, its water and electric utilities will be derived from Harvard's new 58,000-sq.-ft. lower-carbon District Energy Facility that was completed in 2021 and has since earned LEED Gold certification.

The A.R.T.'s West Stage will support large-scale productions while the East Stage will accommodate more intimate shows.

Technical shops and administrative offices also are due to be located throughout the building.

The new theater will also feature modern rehearsal studios, a spacious lobby and an outdoor performance yard that will host free and ticketed performances. With a focus on community, the complex will offer food and beverage services, public restrooms, meeting spaces, art installations and room rental opportunities, as well as free Wi-Fi, according to School Construction News.

Once the A.R.T. construction is complete, attention will turn to the Loeb Center, where a renovation will get under way to transition it into an additional space for theater, dance and media program students that will include private bathrooms and showers, an on-site costume shop, rehearsal spaces and above-ground dressing rooms.




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