Our Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Situation:

With the demand for executive leadership programs increasing, Harvard Business School has expanded its campus by constructing a new 165,000 SF Executive Education Building. Funded by Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Sons, Ltd. and a graduate of the HBS School of Advanced Management, Tata Hall provides much-needed classroom, housing, and gathering space for the school’s executive education program. Working closely with William Rawn Associates, BOND provided a full array of design phase services, including the development of a building model that facilitated tunnel and underground utilities coordination.

Challenges:

  • Challenging site abutting the Charles River, adjacent to a daycare center
  • Neighboring buildings are occupied and functioning throughout construction
  • Working in the midst of a heavily-traveled campus with only one entrance and adjacent to an HBS loading dock for dining services requiring extensive coordination of deliveries
  • Fast-track schedule

Solutions:

  • Utility cutovers were completed during off-hours to ensure that campus operations were not disturbed
  • Detailed planning & mitigation strategies were developed to minimize disruption & maximize safety. Mitigation included strict routing of truck traffic and a very controlled subcontractor parking policy
  • Early packages fast-tracked an innovative foundation installation that helped facilitate a tight schedule
  • Utilization of LEAN management tools to expedite schedule
  • Tablet based BIM360 program was utilized for safety inspections, final punch-listing, and corrective work actions throughout the project
  • Design assist used for the Mechanical/Electrical trades

Results:

  • Building was completed in December 2013 in time for incoming students in early 2014
  • One of the only two of its kind in the New England region, the 37-foot high, double-skin curtainwall consists of vented-glass layers, set 36 inches apart that acts as a thermal blanket in colder temperatures and creates a cooling convection in warmer weather
  • LEED Platinum certified
  • Value Engineering Analysis resulted in substantial cost savings during the buyout