Harvard University | Rowland Institute Renovation
Harvard University | Rowland Institute Renovation | Cambridge, MA
This Design-Build project for Harvard University included interior renovations to accommodate the relocation of the Rowland Institute into Harvard's Northwest Labs Building and 38 Oxford Building.
The project scope required construction to occur simultaneously within two fully occupied campus buildings. The renovations consisted of the deconstruction of an existing MRI magnet, modifications to a shielded MRI room, general office and breakroom space, as well as labs and microscope rooms in the Northwest Labs. Scope also included the build-out of a machine shop and woodworking shop to support the Rowland Institute at 38 Oxford Street.
Early Collaboration & Design-Build Approach
Due to the fast-track nature of the schedule, the DPR and Isgenuity team hit the ground running as an integrated team to meet essential turnover dates. With the IFC-set turned around in four weeks, and just seven weeks total from award to mobilization, the Design-Build team required an all-in collaborative effort. As project scope spanned two buildings, the team also had to coordinate two separate permit packages, which the team was able to turn around within five weeks. The team worked directly with the Harvard Rowland Fellows to determine their functional needs, developing a design set based on their input. DPR and Isgenuity held design working sessions and page turns on a bi-weekly basis to ensure alignment throughout preconstruction and construction and keep the project on track throughout the rapid timeline.
Leveraging VDC to Support The Historic Building Renovations
Working within a historic campus drove an added need for Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) coordination. As the 38 Oxford building was constructed in the 1950s and 1960s as a cyclotron building, the team did not have digital as-built records to reference—only photographs of hand-drawn drawings. To mitigate this challenge, DPR's VDC team laser scanned the space and built a mesh model that was used by Isgenuity to develop a 3D model. This collaboration allowed for coordination of existing conditions.
Careful Coordination Within Occupied Academic Campuses
Working within an occupied campus setting required ample coordination with building facilities and department leads. With active sleep studies being conducted within adjacent lab spaces, the DPR team worked closely with the lab leads to coordinate construction activities around their sensitive studies. DPR also coordinated the schedule to ensure that the Rowland Institute Fellows could immediately occupy the space, while conducting final office space work during off hours.
Safety Plans & Planning to Support The MRI Magnet Crane Pick
The deconstruction of the existing MRI magnet was a high hazard activity that required extra coordination between the project superintendent, safety manager and building facilities. The magnet room was located four floors underground, requiring a well-coordinated crane pick to remove it from the building through a shaft. DPR plans High Risk Activities intentionally into the project schedule to support the planning and coordination of specific work activities, along with a stringent crane safety protocol that is implemented by the team.
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