About this Project
This month, Harvard Real Estate (HRE) will be kicking off a one-year project to upgrade the Smith Campus Center’s (SCC) mechanical and electrical systems. The scope of the project includes the upgrade and replacement of essential electrical and mechanical equipment, including 12 exhaust fans, two air handler units, and the building’s generator, which is located on the roof.
Schedule Information
- The project will mobilize during the second week of December, and is scheduled for completion in January 2027.
- For the first few weeks, building occupants will only notice the presence of subcontractors in the building performing some initial assessments of the building’s duct work.
- Work hours will be Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Some Saturday work may be necessary. Some non-noisy work inside the building may begin as early as 6:00 a.m.
Construction Mitigation and Impacts
- The work to complete these mechanical upgrades and equipment replacements will impact every floor of the SCC at some point throughout the project.
- The SCC’s Health Center will remain open and accessible seven days per week as usual throughout this project.
- The SCC’s 10th floor (both the north and south towers) will be impacted first and will be closed over Harvard’s Winter break beginning December 22 through January 18.
- On floors one through nine, some electrical and HVAC work can be expected at times in occupied areas. Building occupants will be notified in advance so they know what to expect for planning purposes.
- The garage level will be impacted as well with work scheduled to start there in early 2026 in the storage cage areas, mechanical rooms, and some parking areas. This work is being closely coordinated with the SCC garage operator and signage will be in place.
- Work will also begin on the SCC’s roof in late December into the summer. The contractor will be accessing the roof via the 10th floor. After winter break, a logistics plan will be in place so the Harvard community can enjoy the student lounge, and function and meeting spaces while allowing the contractor a clear path to the roof.
The contractor’s team will not park their personal vehicles on city streets.
While the majority of this work will take place inside the building and on the roof, there will be some after-hours street closures of Dunster Street over the course of the project to allow for crane operations to hoist materials to the SCC roof. These crane picks will be closely coordinated with the SCC’s abutters.
This Spring 2026, some brief power outages can be anticipated while the contractor is replacing the building’s exhaust fans. More information will be provided about this work and its impacts as the work dates get closer.
Also this Spring 2026, a temporary generator will be installed adjacent to the SCC on Holyoke Street. The generator will be in place for approximately eight to twelve weeks and will only be in use to support the building during power outages.
Workers will use the SCC’s service elevators for the duration of the project instead of the building’s main passenger elevators.
In addition to the presence of work crews, building occupants can anticipate that the work will generate some perceptible noise at times. Every effort will be made to minimize disruptions.
During reading and exam periods, work that would generate loud noise will take place before 8:00 a.m.