Harvard’s Tozzer Anthropology Building Earns LEED Gold

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Almost two years after its May 2014 debut, Harvard University’s in Cambridge earned LEED Gold certification. The facility’s custom-engineered windows and curtainwall were placed in a staggered pattern throughout the brick- and copper-clad exterior, creating an abundance of natural light on the interior.

Known as the nation’s oldest anthropology library, the Tozzer Anthropology Building was originally founded in 1866 as part of the Peabody Museum. A new building was constructed in 1971 to house the growing collection of ethnology archaeology artifacts and other anthropological items; however, the three-story structure eventually became so deteriorated that it was considered uninhabitable.

A $12 million effort to bring the building up to modern standards included a 24,800-square-foot renovation as well as a two-story, 10,000-square-foot addition. Kennedy & Violich Architecture (KVA) served as the architect on the project, while Consigli Construction served as the builder. Both companies have offices in Boston.

The main goal of the project was to bring sub-disciplines within the anthropology department into one shared location. Plus, the library needed added flexibility to accommodate its changing role, becoming more of a collaborative space. While the facility still houses approximately 54,000 volumes on two floors, it also features more offices, classrooms and informal gathering spaces that promote collaboration.

The existing building was stripped to its structural steel and designed to mimic the adjacent Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology with a brick façade and copper roof. An additional entrance was added to the rear courtyard, and the building now links directly to the Peabody Museum.

The new program is organized around a central birch wood atrium. The atrium extends to the fourth story and includes a social gathering space on the second floor. Offices, classrooms and informal gathering places surround this daylight-filled living space, creating visual relationships between levels and providing acoustic treatment. A light well circulates tempered air as part of an innovative energy-saving ventilation system.

Along with natural light and views, recycled and durable materials also helped the project achieve LEED Gold. The extruded aluminum frames that make up the building’s curtainwall and window systems contain recycled content averaging 70 percent or more. High-performance architectural finishes also contribute to the curtainwall and window systems’ durability and reduce the need for maintenance.

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Harvard Refreshes Anthropology Department Library

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Harvard students and staff moved into the newly renovated Tozzer Anthropology Building in Cambridge in May, about one and a half years after construction broke ground on the project. The renovated facility replaces the Tozzer Library in an effort to combine the social anthropology and anthropology archaeology programs at the school.
The $12 million project included a complete renovation of the 24,800-square-foot building as well as a two-story, 10,000-square-foot addition that is now dedicated to anthropology. Kennedy & Violich Architecture (KVA) served as the architect on the project, while Consigli Construction served as the builder. Both companies have offices based in Boston.
The main goal of the project was to strengthen the sub-disciplines within the department by bringing them into one main location. Plus, the role of traditional library is changing into more of a collaborative space, as opposed to being used as a place for book storage. As one of the world’s largest anthropology research libraries, the facility still houses about 54,000 volumes of books on two floors, but it also features several design elements that bring the facility up to today’s standards.
The existing building was stripped to its structural steel and rebuilt to LEED Gold standards. The new designs mimic the adjacent Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology with a brick façade and copper roof. Working with the university and anthropology department faculty, staff and librarians, the KVA design team created smart classrooms, collegial spaces, faculty offices and a refreshed anthropology library to house the Tozzer anthropology collections.
An additional entrance was added to the rear courtyard, and the building now links directly to the Peabody Museum. The new program is organized around a central birch wood atrium, which extends to the fourth story and includes a social gathering space on the second floor. Offices, classrooms and informal gathering places surround this living space, which brings daylight into the building, creates visual relationships between floor level, and provides acoustic treatment. The light well circulates tempered air as part of an innovative energy-saving ventilation system.
The design challenge was creating space for a 21st century anthropology curriculum in the existing 1971 building footprint, campus infrastructure connections, and steel and concrete structural system, according to KVA. Plus, the 1971 three-story brick envelope could not be re-used due to mold and vapor barrier problems in the original construction. As such, the design consists of a digitally corbelled brick detail at the new entry that is directly linked with the overall geometry of the building massing, with each brick course shifted from the course below in parallel with the building structure, according to KVA.
The use of brick in the building’s design earned the project a Best in Class award at the 2014 Brick in Architecture Awards organized by the Brick Industry Association. Selected by an independent panel of judges, 40 winners were chosen out of 150 entries from both the United States and Canada.

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Harvard’s Tozzer Anthropology Building Earns LEED Gold

Harvard Refreshes Anthropology Department Library