Stylin’ at Gallatin
A note to the 73 incoming MBAs moving into newly renovated Gallatin Hall: You are some lucky ducks. I tagged along on a tour of Gallatin led by principal architect Steve Erwin and project architect Patricia DeLauri, both of Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott, a Boston-based firm with a long history with Harvard University and the B-School. With them was Jarred Dore from Richard White Sons, the general contractor. What I saw made one thing clear: Dormitory living ain’t what it used to be. We’re talking a private bathroom in every room, a double bed, wireless Internet access, and some very cool, recessed light fixtures. The common-area kitchenettes are light, airy, and include eating areas and dishwashers, so no more nasty notes about who left what in the sink.
In mid-August, 73 intrepid HBS staffers spent the night in Gallatin to make sure everything was in good working order before the building’s full-time residents arrive in September. They ate BBQ, played Texas hold ’em, and generally hung out in a lounge area that includes a pool table, a Wii (that must-have video game system), and (of course) many comfy chairs and couches. The Gallatin guinea pigs’ consensus? Life is good here.
Gallatin was designed by McKim, Mead & White and built in 1927 as a collection of what were essentially linked townhouses on a U-shaped plan. The building was no doubt charming but a bit of a warren: Some students had to leave their doors unlocked because emergency exits could be reached only by going through someone else’s room.
The project was a gut rehab, with demolition beginning just after graduation in June 2007. “We had Bobcats going up and down the halls, sending material down demolition chutes out the windows,” architect Steve Erwin recalls. “It was pretty fun.” Ninety-eight percent of the discarded materials were recycled in some way. Three thousands bricks were reused in the renovation.
Gallatin is the second residence hall and fifth building on the HBS campus to achieve LEED certification for construction that meets sustainability standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council. For example, dual-flush toilets and low-flow shower heads and sink aerators reduce water use by 30 percent when compared to a standard building. Sensors adjust indoor lighting by taking available natural light into account (this is called “daylight harvesting”). There are also “smart” (double-glazed, insulated) windows wired into the heating and cooling system that detect when windows are open and adjust the room’s temperature accordingly. “It’s not in-your-face green,” says Terri Evans, communications manager for Shepley Bulfinch. “It just works.”
