McKinlock Hall,
Harvard University

Internship Project

Date: Summer 2014

Location: Cambridge, MA

Role: UMass Amherst Student
Intern in Construction Engineering
 

September, 2014: Fifteen months of construction have produced a revitalized and fully accessible McKinlock, the second completed project in Harvard’s House renewal initiative.

A unique architectural feature of the renovation is the innovative conversion of an old alleyway to create a light court. By covering the alley with a glass roof, the light court serves as a lounge connecting the historic dining hall to several new seminar rooms. This extra common space can accommodate overflow from the dining hall, and provides additional areas for meeting, studying, or socializing.

Sustainability improvements in McKinlock include energy-efficiency upgrades to reduce costs and curb greenhouse-gas emissions, use of nontoxic building materials and improved lighting, reuse of materials when appropriate, and installation of a rainwater harvesting system to reduce irrigation water usage.