Harvard Graduate School of Design Concludes First Stage of Renovations on Gund Hall

Harvard Graduate School of Design concluded the first phase of renovations on Gund Hall — as part of an effort to improve sustainability while maintaining the building’s unique design.

Gund Hall is the 52-year-old building that houses the GSD and a number of student studio spaces. The renovations — which began in 2023 — were designed by Bruner/Cott Architects, and primarily feature updates to windows on the south, east, and north sides of the studio area.

David N. Fixler, a GSD lecturer in architecture and chair of the faculty building committee, said that a priority during the renovations was the preservation of Gund Hall’s original design.

“It was important that the GSD project a spirit of innovation but also of legacy, of stewardship, of respect for the historic quality of Gund Hall,” Fixler said. “This was a good example of preservation strategies working very much in tandem with the best of an innovative design.”

The renovations replaced windows on the north and south sides of the building, which previously used single pane glass, with vacuum-insulated glass to increase energy efficiency.

Benjamin C. Szalewicz, GSD Chief of Facilities and Campus Operations, said that the specialized glass is both efficient and thin enough to match the original design of the building.

“That was one of the innovative features of this that the design team came up with,” Szalewicz said.

The new windows also allow for better insulation in addition to the energy saving benefits.

“At the time it was built, people didn’t think too much about how much energy they were using, and frankly, they just tried to throw a lot of heat at the outside of the building to keep people from getting cold drafts,” Fixler said. “It was not comfortable at certain areas around the perimeter.”

The renovations also addressed issues with leaking, according to Fixler.

“Ever since the building opened, there have been problems with leaks,” Fixler said, “But we’ve taken a very robust approach and been very particular about making sure that that’s fixed.”

“As of our last rain storm that we had, we had no leaks in the studio, so that’s a big improvement for anyone that’s using and working in the space,” Szalewicz said.

Designers also added new coatings on the window glass to improve clarity and reduce glare.

“There’s a lot more natural light in the studio, which is also good in terms of you need to use less artificial light, and it just feels great,” Fixler said.

Szalewicz said students and faculty have appreciated the increased “quality of light.”

“The building felt darker with the old glass,” Szalewicz said.

Aside from windows, the project also improved accessibility, adding handrails and guardrails to the outside of the building.

There are no set dates for the next phases of the renovations, but there will be continuous work on the exterior glass and envelope, according to Szalewicz.

“The first phase took care of all the student spaces — the spaces that the majority of the people use on a daily basis,” Szalewicz said. “The later phases will deal with glass in offices and classrooms, which had less of an impact to the entire community.”

—Staff writer Catherine H. Feng can be reached at catherine.feng@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @catherinehfeng.

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