studio gang designs 'treehouse': harvard's first mass timber building

Studio Gang Rethinks the typical Conference Center

The David Rubenstein Treehouse, designed by Studio Gang for Harvard University in Boston, redefines the typology of the conference facility. These buildings are often insular, energy-intensive, and disconnected from their surroundings. As Harvard’s first mass timber building, the Treehouse emphasizes low-carbon construction and creates a space that encourages conversation, collaboration, and connection with its surrounding community and environment.

Located within the first phase of the Enterprise Research Campus, the Treehouse is envisioned as a destination for Harvard and the wider Boston community. The building offers event spaces for university-wide use and amenities for the neighborhood, including meeting areas and dining facilities. Designed with accessibility in mind, its ground floor features multiple entry points, a transparent facade, and a welcoming atmosphere. A double-height lobby connects to two year-round covered porches, promoting indoor-outdoor interaction.

visualizations © Studio Gang

harvard’s Immersive Mass Timber ‘treehouse’

The architects at Studio Gang design the Harvard building to host meetings and events within its two upper floors, its design inspired by the experience of climbing into a treehouse. A central staircase, illuminated by skylights, highlights the natural beauty of the mass timber structure, which forms the building’s backbone. The Canopy Hall, the main conference space, is supported by branching columns and cross-bracing that frame views of treetops and the surrounding campus. The sustainably harvested timber structure, also expressed on the facade, defines the Treehouse’s identity as an innovative and environmentally conscious building.

the Treehouse redefines conference centers with a sustainable and community-focused design

Spaces Designed for Connection

Sustainability is central to Studio Gang’s design for its Treehouse at Harvard. Its self-shading facade minimizes energy demands while maximizing natural light, and rooftop solar panels provide clean power for the building’s all-electric systems. A combination of bioswales — landscape features that collect and filter polluted stormwater runoff — and a rooftop rainwater collection system supports irrigation, contributing to the project’s low environmental footprint. These green strategies reduce the building’s carbon impact while at once creating a vibrant, biodiverse environment that attracts wildlife.

The Treehouse is designed to encourage interaction. Informal gathering areas include open atrium landings, central stairways, and an expansive upper-level porch that offers the sensation of being among the treetops. The central elevators, integrated into the public lobby, feature shafts styled as tree trunks, adding a whimsical touch to the journey through the building while offering sweeping views from every level.

the ground floor features a transparent facade and entry points on all sides to welcome the public

the building incorporates sustainable features like rooftop solar panels and rainwater reuse systems

project info:

name: Harvard Treehouse

architect: Studio Gang Architecture | @studiogang

location: Boston, Massachusetts

owner, operator: Harvard Real Estate
developer: Tishman Speyer
area: 55,000 square feet
status: under construction

landscape architect: SCAPE
contractor: Consigli and Smoot Construction
civil engineer: Nitsch
geotechnical engineer: Haley & Aldrich
structural engineering, sustainability, MEP: Arup
sustainability consultant: Perkins + Will
lighting consultant: Tillotson Design Associates
accessibility/code consultant: Code Red Consultants