Harvard Upgrades Sustainability Building Standards
By Fay Harvey
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Harvard University’s Sustainable Building Standards, originally established in 2009, have undergone their first significant update since 2017, highlighting the university’s dedication to keeping pace with the constantly evolving landscape of sustainability.
Before finalization, the standards underwent a multi-year development process starting in 2020. A subcommittee of multidisciplinary Harvard University faculty members from the Presidential Committee on Sustainability, along with operational leaders and other faculty members, spearheaded the project. According to the Harvard Gazette, external benchmarking data was also incorporated to align the standards with leading sustainable building practices. One major finding showed that the Living Building Challenge (LBC) Core Certification, a sustainability certification program developed by the International Living Future Institute, best aligns with campus goals. Harvard’s new standards include targeting this certification.
Also unveiled in the 2024 standards is an updated version of the Harvard Healthier Building Academy’s (HHBA) requirements for healthier materials, expanding the regulation categories from five to 14. Originally established in 2016, the HHBA is a first-of-its-kind program aimed at promoting healthier materials in interior design and construction, encompassing items such as carpet, paint, flooring and furniture. The program ensures that future building materials are free from harmful “forever chemicals,” like per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, chemical flame retardants and antimicrobials.
Harvard will also be rolling out enhanced indoor air quality strategies to emphasize health as a main component of sustainability, according to a statement by the University. Also included in the plan are climate resilience efforts related to improved stormwater management and reducing embodied carbon in primary building materials by a minimum of 20% from comparable conventional buildings.
Sustainable projects are common on Harvard’s campus, and according to the Harvard Gazette, multiple projects have successfully piloted the new standards over the past several years to prove they are achievable. Harvard already has established 150 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified projects, including the first LEED Commercial Interiors (CI) V4 project in Massachusetts and the transformative Tozzer Anthropology Building.
The new adaptations will draw inspiration from previous green structures and strategies on campus, while setting a path that aligns with Harvard’s Sustainability Action Plan. The campus’ sustainability plan, first established in 2014, outlines a high-level vision for environmental protection, social equity and the prioritizing of human well-being.
Several projects using the new standards are on the horizon for Harvard’s campus.
The David Rubenstein Treehouse Conference Center, designed by Chicago-based Studio Gang and led by Harvard Graduate School of Design alumna and Professor Jeanne Gang, will be all-electric. The roof’s structure will harvest rainwater, and the buildings photovoltaics will use light as a clean power source.
The David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance is designed to boost biodiversity while minimizing operational and embodied carbon to achieve LBC core accreditation. Mass timber, reclaimed brick and cedar cladding are included in the building’s structure to minimize lifetime carbon budget, according to a statement.
Communal spaces, such as the affiliated housing projects in Allston and a major renovation with the Goel Quantum Science and Engineering Building in Cambridge, are also slated to follow the new standards.